Bead Show this weekend

AKA, I'm going to be stocking up on some supplies before my upcoming shows! I am very excited for this show because some of my favorite lampworkers will be there (see this bead show post). My mom will also be joining me, so it will be some great mother daughter bonding time!

I will definitely be posting about the new beads I get!

Winter/Holiday Season

As it is now officially fall, I have to be getting ready for my least favorite weather season (winter), but an exciting season for me this year because I have added a show that I am doing.

This year I will be selling my jewelry at the Artisan's Guild of Cape Cod show in November (right after Thanksgiving) with my mom! It will be the first time that we are doing a show together (not counting back in the day when we did open houses), so it is going to be a lot of fun. For me it is my first time doing a two day show, so I have been busy making lots of new inventory. I also have been trying to figure out how I want to display my jewelry because normally my mom and I share displays (as well as tables) because we've only done separate shows, so I have to get some more of my own.

Then the following weekend (Saturday only), I will be doing the Last Best Craft Fair in Sandwich MA. This will be my fourth year doing the show. I am looking forward to doing it again. It is always fun going back to my old elementary school.

I have been trying to build up lots of inventory because of the added show, plus I want to keep the stores I am in well stocked for the season as well. One difficulty that I am running into though is the limited amount of time that I have to work with my torch. Since I moved out and didn't bring my torch with me, I have to make trips home to be able to use it. Now I am definitely not complaining because I love coming home to see my family, I just don't get to as much as I want to because of my work schedule. But yet I also love my full time nursing job as well. So basically I need to clone myself, or I need to get my torch closer to me.

More details in terms of the shows and the jewelry that I will have there coming soon!

Newport

I realized I never posted about my trip to Newport a couple of weeks ago..oops. 

It was weird going back to Newport (Salve really) for alumni weekend. As it was my first alumni weekend. But it was awesome. I spent lots of time outside (something I don't do much of now with my work schedule), and got to see some great friends.

I got a new picture of my name on the Athletics Awards plaque in Rogers :) 

The sunset looked absolutely gorgeous when I was out to dinner with friends. 

The BOSS was also on display, and I thought it was awesome. This top piece was one of my favorites. 

Salve's rose gardens never seem to disappoint. 

A smoothie full of hope. (Really mango, pineapple and strawberry, but it was called Hope Island) 

So I pretty much didn't want to leave but I had to get back to work on Monday, but I am looking forward to the next time I can go to Newport again. 

23 Things About Me

I saw this on another blog, and thought it was a really cool idea. So here it is 23 Things About Me (that you may or may not know). The original blog was 25 Things, but since I just turned 23, I thought I would do that many instead!

1. I love to shop. 
2. My favorite sport is Lacrosse, specifically Men's (I mean I was a team manager for 6 1/2 years)
3. Criminal Minds is absolutely my favorite show. I watch repeats often. 
4. I have many knitting projects going at the same time. 
5. I like my beads and yarns organized by color, but yet I hate to clean. 
6. I prefer sour candy over chocolate. 
7. I've donated my hair twice for cancer patients. (once for Locks of Love and once for Pantene Beautiful Lengths), and I hope to do it again once its long enough.
8. I love giving presents, handmade ones if possible. 
9. Summer is my favorite season. 
10. I love to support local handmade artisans. 
11. I love to drink tea, and lots of it. 
12. I have and use a lot of post-it notes. 
13. I am a fan of gory movies (SAW series anyone?)
14. If I could be barefoot always I would love that. 
15. I've been known to make just frosting to eat.
16. I want to learn how to sew (again)
17. I would pick going somewhere warm over somewhere cold in terms of traveling.
18. Flea markets are so much fun to go to (see #1)
19. I am a psychiatric nurse and I love what I am able to do. 
20. I have a collection of handmade mugs (the larger the better, see #10 and #11)
21. I would love to have my own store someday (with my mom of course). 
22. I am not a morning person...unless you count staying up until its almost morning as a morning person.
23. Lastly and most importantly, I am thankful for everyone and everything that I have in my life, they are what made me who I am today. 

Crickets...

Maybe that't what you have been hearing as I have not posted here for over a month. Well since my last post, I have moved into my own apartment and have started working as a registered nurse. It has been a busy couple of weeks, but my schedule should be a little more set now that my normal hours start soon. Thankfully these hours allow me time to be able to make jewelry! So much that I have run out of wire, and am waiting for my order to come in.

I treated myself to a light box from Cowboy Studios, that way I have no more excuses about taking pictures of my new jewelry because of lighting issues. It has arrived, but I have to go and get lights for it. Now it is just a white tent. I am planning on getting those ASAP.

Also over the time that I have been silent, I helped my mom (Treasures & Trinkets) with two shows that she did, one at Drummer Boy Park in Brewster. I only was able to help one day because I was working the other two, but it was great to be able to have that one day to be her check out girl :) The other was over Labor Day weekend and it was a lot of fun. Her next show is in November (I will be posting about it when it gets a little closer). She makes some really great polymer clay jewelry!

Until next time, hopefully with new photos and more updates!

Ch-ch-changes

In less than one week I will be moving into my very own apartment, and not just for the school year like I have the past two years. It will definitely be an adjustment, but I am excited for what is to come. So in preparation for my move, I have been trying to figure out how I want it to be decorated. My main concern is really my living area/studio space. I have been really fortunate to have half of a basement as my studio for the past couple of years, so trying to fit everything I want to bring with me will be a bit of a challenge. I can't move out without my beads, yarns, and papers.

Thankfully, Pinterest was invented to help me figure out how I want my space to be! As an already avid pinner, I created a board specifically with apartment ideas.

In terms of color, I want a more beachy appearance, aka lots of teals, blues, tans/whites.
Much like this courtesy of design-seeds.com


I really like this set up, but in the colors shown above. I am bringing my inspiration boards with me, so this is a perfect set up for them, plus it gives me a lot of space for storage without taking up too much room. Image via Pinterest courtesy of http://www.brightboldbeautiful.com/

courtesy of http://www.completely-coastal.com/

Wicked cool displays of beach finds (perfect because my mom brought me back some awesome shells and coral from Florida!). More about those later! :)

And I definitely want to have at least one gallery wall (my apartment has really high ceilings so it will be awesome!)

courtesy of http://jenniferjohner.typepad.com/jennifer/2011/05/floor-to-ceiling-photo-wall-aka-how-to-hide-all-of-those-switches-and-things.html

I can't wait to be able to move in and start decorating (and creating) when I am not working!

Sarah Kay: If I should have a daughter ...

I found this video on website called U lala, see below for their about information courtesy of their website. Katherine was actually one of my fellow classmates in high school.

Watching this video inspired me so much. Sarah believes in the empowerment for people to be brave and go after what they want and to be able to share it with others. That is what I am doing with my jewelry making and really these blog posts. I am sharing what I believe in and what I put my heart and soul into.

You should definitely check out more of Sarah Kay's poems, as well as the U lala website. Originally just based in Purdue University, has now expanded out to more colleges and universities. http://www.u-la-la.com/school/