02.10.2011

i recall saying "it's going to be a big year"

well so far this has rung true...

today is dan and my 3 year anniversary.

we have been engaged for 2 weeks now.

we went to biltmore to celebrate our anniversary.

he asked me to be mrs. dan.

i said yes.

it's march already?

it has been nearly 2 months since my last post. I wanted to say hello, I haven't forgotten about you, my dears. I actually think about you often and have been missing you.

I am hoping that in the next few weeks my life will finally slow down and I will be writing again. I am really starting to feel, in my bones, the fatigue from working 12+ hours a day.

just a little update for you :

1. new jewelry is coming soon. i promise! A little something for Mother's Day and a little something for Fathers on their day too.
2. some of you may already know, but the Beehive in Atlanta is moving!
3. I have been taking a jewelry class on Mondays. I have missed learning.
4. Dan and I are moving... into a house! It's a rental, in Decatur and we are moving March 20. And if you were curious...I have insisted that there will be no house buying until there is a ring on my finger... from Dan that is.
5. I hired the new bookkeeper at JFF (which is funny considering I have never been formally interviewed myself!)

I must get back to work. Trying to get my taxes prepared...and West Side Story is on TMC!

settling in

Do you ever have those days (days, weeks, or even months) when you feel like you are running to catch up? That is what my life has been this past month.

Our secretary at my day job (JFF Jeweler Supply) was diagnosed with cancer. It was all very sudden, she knew something was wrong, she went to the doctor and they told her she had multiple meyloma. She began treatment immediately. She is a wonderful woman and definitely a fighter.

In the meantime it has left a huge gaping hole at JFF. Not only because we are missing a working member of the business (our secretary/bookkeeper), but she is a life-long friend (as she was our neighbor when I was growing up). In the meantime, I have been working longer hours at JFF to get all the work done then move to work in my studio.

But I can't dwell on the negative. We must push forward. So here are the things I am working on in my studio in the next few weeks :
I am working on a men's line.
I am sending my jewelry to Beehive New York. (which will be for sale beginning Feb 1)
I am making some new rings.
I am working on making a main web page.

In personal life news, Dan and I will be celebrating our 2 year anniversary February 10. Things have been wonderful with us and I'm super excited because we have a reservation at Craft to celebrate!

Also, Dan and I are taking another trip up to New York/New Jersey, February 12-14. I know it's going to be SUPER cold but I am excited for the trip. We are going primarily to celebrate Dan's father's 75th birthday. But we have also scheduled in time to visit the Beehive New York store! I am so excited to go check it out! We will also sneak in a quick visit with Dan's friends, who I now consider my friends as well. :)

You never can expect the bumps in the road. But I think I'm finally settling into 2010.

2010, a new decade?

I'm not sure if I have been so busy and I didn't realize, or I'm just not that smart, but today it really sunk in that we are entering into a new decade. I don't know how I missed this!

What makes it even crazier is it has been 10 years since the y2k scare, I visited California for the first time, I graduated from high school, and I moved away from home went to college... Part of me thinks that it really doesn't seem like it's been 10 years. But when I try to think about what I was doing back then, what I was thinking about, what I hoped to be when "I grew up" I realize it really has been 10 years.

If you would have asked me in 2000 where I would be in 10 years my answer would be: a clothing buyer definitely not working for my dad anymore. I would be married by 24 with 2 children living in San Francisco and very, very happy.

However, today I am working for my father by day and jewelry artist by early morning and night. I am single at 28 but dating a wonderful man, childless and technically petless, STILL living in Atlanta (but finally visited SF this year), and still figuring out what I want to be "when I grow up." But I have to say, I am very very happy where I am right now walking into 2010.

I said I wouldn't post until the new year, but I couldn't resist. All of this has got me thinking and when I get all thoughtful I think it should record it in history! (it doesn't happen all THAT often!)

Before I really sign off until the new year I wanted to let you all know that I have some very exciting new designs that I will be releasing in the new year. And here's a little sneak peak of one idea:

This ring is a new series called rock candy rings that I will be expanding on, along with my gumdrop rings. Each will be one of a kind and resized to fit to order. They are not yet available in my etsy or big cartel store but when they are, rest assured, you will be the first to know!

Here are also some future gum drops rings.


I hope you all have a very happy new year!

i have been inspired...

I have been inspired by Joanna Goddard's blog a cup of jo. Her blog is a daily must read for me. Last week she started her yearly gift guide, which is cool in of itself. But what i loved and was inspired by, is that it is for geared toward the gifts she will be giving to people in her life. So one day she focuses on her mother, the next on her sister, then her husband, I think you get the picture. It really isn't your normal guide. Well, at least I think so, I haven't been around the blogging world that much yet!

So I am going to do the same to help me make a list of gifts {realistic and not} for my family and friends, and maybe it will help you in your holiday shopping as well!

whew

the past few days have been a whirlwind and I think this might just be the beginning...

Saturday: Dan and I drove from Palm Springs to LA. Caught our flight to Atlanta, and got in around 7pm eastern time.

Sunday: Dan purchased a new LCD flat panel tv (his belated graduation present to himself). I spent all day Sunday preparing for the Advent Calendar of Promotions that I have all this month. Running errands, cutting down tissue paper to 9" x 11 1/2" rectangles (can't they make tissue paper for wrapping around small jewelry boxes?!), ironing tissue paper (yes, I iron the fold wrinkles out of tissue paper), taking new photos of my fortune cookie necklaces, planning and designing the promo blogs and emails for the upcoming week and working on my new big cartel site.

Monday: JFF, the jeweler supply store that employs me during the day, reopened. My dad, the owner, was still in Florida enjoying a few more days of the Thanksgiving Holiday. My coworker and I got there at 8am. (I didn't even get a chance to walk into my studio)...and we were so busy we didn't stop working until 6pm! No breakfast, no lunch, no potty breaks...WHEW! I then ran home to meet my friend, Colleen, for our weekly Trashy TV (more on this at a later time).

Tuesday (this morning): Woke up at 5am, got ready, had a huge glass of chocolate milk and checked my email...so excited to see such lovely responses from the first promotion on my Advent Calendar. Got to JFF and in my studio at 6 am and began making jewelry. JFF opened at 9am, closed at 4pm. I drove home, turned on Elf, and am now about to pass out (I have to take a break when I can get it!)!

hello, i love you

Every year since I can remember, my parents and I drive down to Florida for the Thanksgiving holiday (yes, I spend 8 hours in the car with my parents). My Grandparents had 4 daughters and all 4 families come together to celebrate, eat, exchange Christmas presents, be thankful, and eat. My cousin and I have also started our own mini tradition of shopping until we drop on Black Friday. It is definitely my favorite holiday.

This year is going to be different because I'm going to spend Turkey day with Dan's family in Palm Springs, CA. While I'm REALLY excited, there are other parts of me that are nervous and sad. Nervous because well, who wouldn't be nervous to spend an entire week with your boyfriend's family! Sad because I am going to be missing my family something fierce. For me to agree whole-heartedly to this trip Dan had to promise that we will be spending New Years in Florida with my family AND we will go to Thanksgiving with my family next year.

Well getting back to the excited part, of course my mind automatically thinks of what should I wear?! Can I just say that the weather will be in the high 70s!!! So, today's Hello, I love you is something to pack for Palm Springs.
1. j. crew cashmere-silk splendid cardigan - I chose this because even though it's going to be warm in Palm Springs, I will be cold!

2. forever 21 soft knit striped tank - going for the nautical look in the desert.

3. christina kober designs 18K bubble necklace - I think gold looks amazing on tanned skin (which I will hopefully have). This necklace can be made custom in sterling silver or a mix of sterling silver and gold, different lengths...the options are endless.

4. anthropologie grand proportions belt - I love the look of a wide belt slung across your hips. Something about it is sexy to me.

5. dvf armor pants in white - even though it's after labor day, I wear white wide-leg pants. I am actually wearing some today! And can I just say...DVF, swoon!

6. kate spade bamboo espadrilles - I love these shoes. I have them in white and wore them so much I broke them and immediately replaced them. So comfortable. I love this color too!

7. calviree extra large poppy tote - I love the jute webbing and canvas handles. It looks like a super sturdy bag for travel. I just discovered CalviRee on Etsy earlier this week. Patty has some great designs. If you haven't already noticed, I love handmade bags.

sick.

so i know everyone is waiting with baited breath to find out about my california trip. unfortunately since I have been back I have been sick. I have even stayed home all week, not been to work or my studio, once. I went to the doctor on Tuesday and I don't have the flu...thank goodness.

I feel like I have been absolutely worthless, but all the while stressing about all the things I need to do. I have jump ring orders to complete, necklaces to send out, the JFF newsletter to send out, blog about my trip, among other things.

I haven't done a single one of these things. I apologize if you are waiting for me to ship an order. I am hoping to be better by tomorrow (although I have said that everyday this week).

number 15

Reach my lifetime goal... for those of you who don't know I'm on weight watchers. I was nervous to say this on my blog as it is meant to focus more on my jewelry and I think this is a very personal thing to be sharing. However, I'm struggling and I think I can use all the support I can get.

I started weight watchers January 2008. I lost 10 lbs in my first 6 months and have since hovered at this same weight for a year. So I'm good a maintaining this weight, but I am still not happy with where I am.

So plan is to start at the beginning, and writing down what I eat. I also think it is important to not deprive myself, but just not eat 3 slices of cake when all you really need is a bite. Whole foods are also important, I don't like the way processed "easy" foods make me feel so I'm going to try to focus on that again as well.

These are a few photos from my trip to New York. It was a wonderful weekend, even though we didn't make it to the Brooklyn Bridge. The weekend was full of photos, drinks and delicious food.

The weekend started off with my flight landing early...I didn't know what happens anymore?! So Sue and I were able to make it out. We hit Whiskey Town where I felt right at home...they gave us koozies with our beers & played awesome 80s music.

On Saturday morning Sue and I woke up and headed to a bar to watch the Clemson game...on the way we went to a bagel shop for breakfast. We walked around Columbus Circle, Central Park, and the Museum of Natural History. The bar, Gin Mill, was tons of fun, our bartender was actually from Laurens, South Carolina. A bunch of Sue and Dan's friends met us there to watch the game too.

After the game and the rain had stopped we headed to Greenwich Village. We walked around and walked over to this cool pier. And took the subway back up to midtown where we stopped for some heaven, otherwise known as cupcakes.

We went to dinner at an Italian restaurant for dinner, I had pumpkin ravioli with a pesto sauce and tiramisu. The restaurant was awesome, they seated us outside with this ivy overhang. And when you looked up all you could see was tall buildings. We headed to a birthday party for the rest of the evening.

On Sunday we went to brunch at a Brazilian restaurant. I had french toast with caramelized bananas. DELICIOUS!

happy weekend

The weather doesn't look very promising for my show on Saturday. But by the looks of the sky right now I'm really hopefully the radar is just wrong! :)

Things to come next week on my blog:

Monday or Tuesday: photos from my trip to NY...a little belated

Wednesday: because I love shopping so much I thought it would be fun to have a weekly blog post where I pick out an outfit I either own or wish to own. this way I am not spending the money on something new but I am sharing the outfit with others... and I can rediscover things in my closet! Brilliant!

Thursday: I will be posting some new items on my etsy shop the next few weeks. I have finished my handwritten initial and am finally ready to share! And I also have some new designs that are coming to fruition.

Friday: an update on my 28 resolutions

(i'm hopeful I will stay on schedule!)

a happy day

today, Dan started his job. I haven't blogged about this but Dan graduated in May with an MBA. Unfortunately, with our tough economic situation he had a hard time finding a job.

It began with a tough bit of news the day after graduation that the job we all thought he had in the bag. He got a call that things fell through and they chose not to hire anyone. He began patrolling all of the job postings and networking like crazy. He kept pushing and wasn't going to settle for any job, he knew what he wanted and spoke with as many people as he could to figure out what the best route was to take.

While it was frustrating at times he stayed persistent. September 18, just about 4 months after graduation, he was offered a job. Even though it's been a tough journey for the both of us, this job is exactly where he should be and we are through it, together.

Congratulations Dan, I love you.

New York, New York

Wow, I can't believe it's the last day of September! Time is really flying by, I remember when I was younger and I would plead with the clock for time to go by faster. What happened between then and now that I am now pleading with the clock to go slower?

October is a busy month, beginning with a trip this weekend to see my friend & {sorority} big sister, Sue, in New York. I am so excited to see her! Usually when I'm up north anymore it's with Dan and I only get a small snippet of time with Sue. So finally we are having a girl's weekend! {Fun fact: Sue actually introduced me to Dan, she went to middle and high school with him}

{image via brooklyn bridge park.org}

We had planned to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge after watching the Tigers play, but of course the weather isn't supposed to be that great. I'm packing my galoshes in hopes that they will scare away the rain!

so excited...

Dan and I are planning a short trip to Northern California in October. This is a trip that I have been dreaming about since...well I can't remember when I first wanted to go.

We are spending one day in San Francisco, which I have to say I'm very excited about. Among other things I want to ride on a trolley, walk across {if you are allowed} the Golden Gate Bridge, check out Fisherman's Wharf and stumble down Lombard Street.

Although this day of sight seeing in San Francisco will be amazing, I can't help but be excited about the wedding we are going to. It is on a vineyard in Carmel. I have been looking for the perfect dress to wear to the wedding and on Sunday I found it! {thank you, j. crew}

I'm still deciding on my shoes and what necklace I will make to add to this look. If you have any suggestions for accessories or where else we should visit in SF let me know!

the cotton cady Erica dress in azalea, skinny patent leather belt in black, cashmere crew neck cardigan in black

my weekend in photos {part 3}

This past week has been a blur. In my normal day job, our secretary has been out sick with the flu while Dallas has been on vacation. So in a company of 4, things have been hectic. Meanwhile I have been preparing for fall shows (one in particular was on Saturday). Needless to say, my blogs have been not so great and very behind, so I apologize. I know you all have been dying to hear more about my birthday!

So today's blog is the last in the series about my birthday weekend. And I promise...after today I'll be done blogging about my birthday. Maybe...

The main festivity for my birthday was for 3 of my girlfriends and I to head to Dahlonega in north GA to do a tour de winery and stay in a bed and breakfast.

We started out the day with lunch and our first wine tasting at Wolf Mountain. This place was gorgeous and the food and wine were delicious. But all we could talk about was how amazing a wedding would be here.
For safety precautions we hired a transportation service to take us around to the different wineries. No drinking and driving in this bunch! This was our ride...
Our second stop was Frogtown Winery. It's a cute house in the midst of a gorgeous vineyard. Unfortunately, there was a wedding being held in the house so we weren't able to go inside. However, the tasting was outside overlooking the vineyard. So we were cool with that.
Our ride, then picked us up and drove us to the neighboring winery: Three Sisters. This winery might have been our favorite. Maybe it was because the gave us a complimentary wine glass, or they gave us chocolate with not just one but two wines, or maybe it was the Cheetos they gave us with a wine pairing, or it was our 3rd wine tasting and we were really feeling happy.
After purchasing our bottles of wine and snacks, we realized we had a missed call from our safe ride. She said she had another booking and had to get us another form of transportation. So we walk outside and we find a black limo waiting for us! Talk about traveling in style! {unfortunately, the photo the limo driver took of us was actually a video and try as I might my computer wouldn't let me reformat it into a photo, so all I have are photos from inside the limo}
Last but not least, we hit our 4th winery on our tour de winery; Blackstock. This last tasting was probably the most fun. We had two great guys serving us and were clearly used to dealing with 4 silly girls giving them a hard time. One of the coolest parts of this tasting was a desert wine that was served in a miniature chocolate cup, it tasted just like a chocolate covered cherry! Yum!
We hopped into our limo and ended the evening with dinner...which is a little blurry. We then headed to Lilly Creek, the bed & breakfast, to drink more wine and hang out in the hot tub. I have to say this was probably the best birthday celebration thus far! Thank you to my girls!

my weekend in photos {part 2}

On Friday, Dan and I took Betsy to Zoo Atlanta. She LOVES the zoo, and especially the pandas. {she even has a widget on her computer with the pandacam} So, it was necessary to go. I was a little apprehensive because I have heard some pretty terrible things about our zoo...but I was REALLY impressed!

The meerkats were sleeping when we walked over but as soon as we started taking pictures they got VERY playful {read scary}. I have to say we are much cuter meerkats!

We really enjoyed the Gorilla exhibit. We got to it right as one of the trainers was feeding them a snack. There was one Gorilla that was sitting under the rock and wasn't getting any food. He kept huffing and puffing... like "why are you ignoring me?!"
The babies were on the other side and were rolling and tumbling in the grass. If it wasn't for all the fur the would have looked like little children playing.

When we got to the pandas, of course they were sleeping. But when we came back momma was feeding her baby. And when she had enough she would get up and try to walk away and he would just follow. So she would sit down and let him feed a little longer and then push him off. This continued for about 30 minutes. It was rather entertaining. Poppa was on the otherside climbing and sliding down his tree trying to get attention.

Here are a few more of the animals we saw at the zoo. {from top left; clouded leopard, the hungry african elephants, the elegant crane, the chubby bird, the sleeping hog, rhinocerous, kangaroos, tiger, the unhappy giant tortise, the lion who thought we were lunch, the frozen zebra, and the manequin goat}

We finished off the night with friends, margaritas, and cheese dip at Panchos. {and a surprise sombrero and shot of tequila to finish me off}

my weekend in photos {part 1}

This weekend has been a whirlwind. I was hoping to make at least one post...obviously it's tuesday and here I am.

My weekend began on Thursday night. My good friend, Betsy, flew in from OH...IO. We kicked the weekend off with the Clemson/Georgia Tech Football Game. Although Clemson lost, we had a great time tailgating.

the traffic was insane...even the foot traffic.

Clemson was being represented all over the place...even on beer cans!

up next: Zoo Atlanta & Sombraroes

out of towners

via {ReTLoP-[p.e.t.e.r]}

My friend and one of the many roomates from college is flying in today for the weekend. We have big plans to cheer on the tigers, shop, go to the zoo, and celebrate my birthday! I will be taking lots of photos and sharing them throughout the weekend on my flickr page and blogging about our fun times.

under the sea

On Sunday Dan and I completed our "tour of Atlanta" with my cousin with the Georgia Aquarium. While crowded, we had a great time taking photos. I have discovered I really enjoy making these collages of photos on photoshop.

america's favorite past time

My cousin, Danielle, came into town to visit for the Labor Day weekend. Meaning Dan is meeting more of my family.

While in town, Danielle really wanted to go see a Braves game and go to the Georgia Aquarium. Last night the Braves were playing at 7, so we hopped on Marta (Atlanta's version of the metro/subway). We traveled on the train to the stadium and trecked through Underground Atlanta to Turner Field. This was also Danielle first experience on Marta and in Underground...probably not the highlight of her trip.


Anyway, we bought tickets & went straight to the beer line. Because you can't enjoy America's favorite past time without a pint size can of a frosty beverage. We also ate hotdogs, peanuts, enjoyed the unfortunate she-mullet seated in front of us & watched a scoreless game until the 8th inning when the Braves lost to the Reds. However, in spite of our loss, Turner Field put on a spectacular fireworks display. A great baseball night all in all.

Next up...the Georgia Aquarium.