Before there was Crabby Mermaid, there was a lifelong love of the ocean.
For as long as I can remember, the water has been part of my story. It has taken me to incredible places, given me some of my favorite memories, and remained the place where I feel most at home. But that story began on one very special stretch of Florida's Gulf Coast.
It All Started on Anna Maria Island
It was the first beach I ever set foot on, and for me, it was love at first sight. I grew up there with the Gulf Coast as the backdrop to some of my earliest memories, never imagining that all these years later, my love of the ocean would become such an important part of a business of my own.
I've been fortunate to experience some incredible coastlines since then—from Hawaii and the Caribbean to the Bahamas, Ireland and the Mediterranean, from the Florida Keys to beaches up and down the East Coast. Every one has been beautiful in its own way.
But the Gulf Coast has always felt like home.
Where I Find My Peace
For me, the ocean has never been just about a beautiful view.
It's where I go to disconnect, reflect and simply be. There's something about saltwater that heals the soul.
Whether it's a day at the beach, walking the shoreline looking for seashells, fishing, kayaking, scuba diving or simply sitting by the water listening to the waves, that's where I find some of my purest joy and peace.
Maybe that's why I've always been drawn to things that remind me of the water even when I'm nowhere near it.
I've collected ocean-inspired jewelry on my travels for years. I've always loved pieces that can take you back to a place or a memory—the necklace that reminds you of a favorite island, the sea turtle that takes you back to an incredible encounter underwater, or simply something blue that instantly makes you think of the Caribbean.
Long before Crabby Mermaid existed, I was already that person.
Then Came 2021
Like it did for so many people, COVID changed a lot for me.
I had left the corporate world earlier that year, while so much of life was still closed down and uncertain. I knew one thing: I wanted whatever came next to be something different.
I wanted to do something fun.
And somewhere in that strange period of change, an idea started coming together. Why not build something around things I already genuinely loved?
The ocean. Coastal jewelry. Travel. Marine life. Those little reminders of the beach that somehow make you happy every time you see them.
On September 9, 2021—my birthday—Crabby Mermaid officially became a business.
And the adventure began.
From Things I Loved to Crabby Mermaid
When I first started Crabby Mermaid, I knew I wanted it to be built around things I genuinely loved. The business has evolved quite a bit since those early days, as small businesses tend to do.
New things have found their way in. I've learned what I love, what my customers love and, probably most importantly, what I want Crabby Mermaid to be.
But some of the collections that were there in the beginning are still incredibly special to me.
Larimar was one of them.
I loved Larimar long before I sold it. There's something extraordinary about that Caribbean blue stone, but what I love most is that no two pieces are ever exactly the same. Every stone has its own shades, patterns and personality. It feels like owning a tiny piece of tropical water that nature created just for you.
Cork jewelry was also part of Crabby Mermaid from the beginning. I loved the idea of carrying something eco-friendly and different, and I especially loved that the pieces are handmade right here in Florida by an artisan.
And then there's Periwinkle.
I had personally bought Periwinkle jewelry many times over the years while traveling to different beach destinations. I loved it before I ever thought about selling it myself. To me, those pieces have always been an easy, fun way to carry a little piece of the beach home with you.
Looking back now, I realize that much of Crabby Mermaid wasn't created by searching for things that fit a “coastal brand.”
I simply began sharing things I already loved.
A Lifelong Love of Marine Life
My connection to the ocean goes deeper than the shoreline.
When I was younger, I dreamed about becoming a marine biologist. Life had other plans, but my fascination with marine life never disappeared.
I've been lucky enough to have experiences over the years that I'll never forget—from watching sea turtles to being underwater alongside them. Those moments have a way of putting everything else into perspective.
There's an entirely different kind of peace beneath the surface. Everything above the water disappears for a while. You're simply there, in their world, watching marine life move around you.
My experiences with sea turtles in particular changed the way I see the ocean and eventually became important to the Crabby Mermaid story, too.
I've written more about those unforgettable encounters in The Sea Turtles That Changed How I See the Ocean, because that story really deserves one of its own.
When Ireland, the Ocean and Conservation Came Together
The Ocean Jewelry collection came to Crabby Mermaid a little later, and it brought together several things that mean a great deal to me.
The jewelry is made in Ireland—a country I love visiting and one that connects me to my family's Irish heritage. The pieces themselves are beautifully inspired by the ocean and marine life. And through this particular collection, every purchase helps save 10 baby sea turtles.
That combination made the collection feel incredibly special to me.
It's one of those unexpected ways different parts of your life somehow find each other.
My love of Ireland. My love of the ocean. My experiences with sea turtles. My belief in conservation.
Somehow, they all found a home at Crabby Mermaid.
Five Years Later
Running a small e-commerce business means I've worn just about every hat imaginable over these five years.
I choose the products. I work on the website. I photograph and market the jewelry. I create social media content. I answer questions. I package orders. I work events. I troubleshoot things I never imagined I'd need to know how to troubleshoot.
There have been plenty of learning curves, late nights and moments when I've wondered what on earth I got myself into.
But there have also been moments that make all of it worthwhile.
A customer sending me a picture wearing something she loves. Someone choosing a piece because it reminds her of a favorite vacation. A gift purchased because a sea turtle, starfish or wave means something special to the person receiving it.
Those are the moments that remind me that jewelry can be about much more than what we wear.
Sometimes it's about where we've been, who we were with and how that place made us feel.
And maybe that's what Crabby Mermaid has really been about all along.
Coming Full Circle
There's something especially meaningful about celebrating five years this year.
Later this year, I'm moving back to Florida's west coast—the place where my love affair with the Gulf began all those years ago on Anna Maria Island.
I've traveled to some extraordinary places and stood on some incredibly beautiful beaches. I've watched sunsets over different waters, collected shells from different shores and made memories on islands and coastlines far from where my story started.
But there is still nothing quite like a sunset over the Gulf of Mexico.
Maybe some places simply stay with us.
I don't think that little girl in the red swimsuit on Anna Maria Island could have imagined Crabby Mermaid. She certainly wasn't thinking about websites, jewelry collections or running a business. She was probably far too busy playing on the beach.
But I think she'd be pretty happy to know that all these years later, the ocean she fell in love with that day would still be such an important part of her life.
And that somehow, without ever planning it, she found a way to share a little piece of it with other people.
So today, I'm raising a glass to five years of Crabby Mermaid—to every lesson, every adventure, every beautiful piece of jewelry, every beach memory and every person who has supported this little business along the way.
Thank you for being part of the journey.
Here's to five years behind us, whatever adventures are waiting beyond the horizon, and always finding our way back to the water.
Cheers to five years.
With love and salty air,
Diane
Founder, Crabby Mermaid