The Worst Day?

Yesterday was probably the worst day of this cold I can't seem to kick. On Sunday, I called out from work because I felt crappy and spent the whole day pretty much in bed except for a few journeys out into the wilderness to find food. Then yesterday, because no one can cover my shift, I went in. Let me tell you, it hurt to shower. It hurt to blink. Every part of my body ached. I suppose I could have called out and left the other manager hanging, but I couldn't do that to a friend. I suppose I could have called my boss and just told her she needed to cover my shift because there was no way I could make it in, but once again, I couldn't do that to a friend... and my boss had to deal with me calling out on Sunday.

It wasn't so bad. I'm very thankful for the team I had with me last night. I tried for a few hours to stay on task at work and got some office stuff done, but I had to sit down often and was near tears most of the day. Around 6pm, the boys made me sit in the back because apparently I looked like walking death. I gave one of the guys we're considering for a promotion a key and told him he could come get me if there was a problem. I fell into a light doze for about an hour. I felt guilty as hell at first but when I tried to leave the break-room to help out, they all just protested and said that they could handle things while I rested. Angels, I tell you.

They picked up the store on their own. The projects I gave them were worked on. No customer problems. At the end of my shift I felt like I could really trust these guys and that we made some really good choices hiring for the holiday season.

Today, I'm feeling much better. It doesn't hurt to blink anymore. I'm only mildly achy and I think my fever is gone. The boyfriend brought me benedryl and chocolate Sunday night because I felt crappy. Last night, he bought me a tub of chicken noodle soup from Boston Market because I needed to eat something and that's my favorite soup. I have it really good, I think.

Speaking of good, the Spring color report from Pantone is out (is that the worst segway or what?) and check out how beautiful the choices are! I'm in love with honeysuckle... which is apparently the color of the year. That's funny because I was in love with turquoise which was last year's color of the year.

I started a piece using a color similar to honeysuckle yesterday without thinking. Copper and honeysuckle seem to go really well together.

Hope everyone had a wonderful New Years! Let's get through this week in one piece, k?

Hello, 2011!

 

Hello, 2011! There's me! Hopeful and looking forward to see what 2011 brings!

Started a resolution blog over here... if you're interested in that kind of thing :)

First piece of 2011 and its a crappy photo! BLAH! Must retake it! Silly sun likes to go down at night. So inconvenient for people who like to use the sun as their light source in pictures! :P

Happy New Year, everyone! Let's make it a good one!

Dragonflies

 I love dragonflies. Sure, they're bugs and if one landed on me, I'd probably freak out (FLASHBACK ALERT!: Did something of the sort with a white butterfly when I was a kid) but they are rather beautiful.

Above is a bracelet I made for a friend's mother who recently commissioned me to do some work for her. She had recommended a wonderful book on stones and I really really do love a good book recommendation. She had said that she, too, loves dragonflies AND amethyst and thus, this bracelet was born. I used little silver lined lavender colored seed beads as spacers. I think they add some sparkle.

I found these lovely etched bone beads at Michaels and just knew I had to have them. Two fire-polished beads and a purple glass crystal bead hang at the bottom of each earring. LOVE these. Not sure what kind of bone it is, but I'm assuming cow bone. Dunno why.

Dragonflies can represent change. They can represent dreams and good luck. The new year is approaching and I know that I try to come up with resolutions each year and just fail. This year, I want to try really hard to keep them. They're all things that I've been meaning to do and January 1st will just be the day I decide to really get serious. I will start a new blog just for my resolutions because it seems to help me stay focused on my jewelry so why not my personal goals?

Do you do the resolution thing? I know lots of people do. Heck, at work, the health section is PACKED with books because even the industry knows that people are going to give the diet resolution another go. Share your thoughts. I'm very interested :)

Hope you all had a lovely holiday!

Bracelets!

 

Busy busy. Had some commissions to finish up. The first one is my favorite but I don't know if it's the right type of bracelet for who it's for. Claspless, leather, and sea glass, I was told it's for someone who wears a lot of bracelets. I hope they like it.

These are dyed stone and glass bead bracelets. They finish with a simple lobster clasp.

These last two are the same style bracelet I've made in the past that I referred to as my "bread and butter" piece. These are made with stone instead of glass beads (red jasper and black onyx). I never even thought of using stones!

I'm tired but happy. It's been rainy rainy here in southern California and I love it. Christmas is almost here! YAY!

Hope everyone is well! I'm looking forward to having more time to blog hop once again.

Random Holiday Post

Happy holidays, everyone! This holiday season has me running around like a crazy chicken at work, trying to push books into people's hands and keep employees motivated or from having break-downs. Outside of my day-job, I have commissions (YES! COMMISSIONS! YAY! *boogies*) to fulfill and an article to write. My Christmas shopping is far from being done. For the past week, my cold comes and goes. And now, today, I have been dealing with some intense backpain.

Whine whine whine. Complain complain complain.

BUT. I'm very excited this holiday season. Lots of happiness and joy even with cranky customers at work. I'm so happy to be doing commissions and (even though I'm freaking out a tad) over the moon about writing an article.

However, this holiday season has left me little time to blog :( I went from blogging everyday in November to hardly at all. I lurk and read blogs when I have time but hardly comment because writing takes a lot of time for me.

I feel like I'm blathering. What was the point of this post? OH YEAH! This is on my wishlist from Santa this year:

I want a set of new pliers. Ergonomic handles would be lovely. I really just want new cutters. I made the mistake of cutting memory wire with my cutters on one of my first projects and they have a nice kink in them now.

My poor RH has had to deal with me randomly saying, "You know what I want this year? Pliers... (or) a dvd drive... (or) earrings... (or) a puppy..." He, however, hasn't given me a very good list of presents for this year. Hmph.

Anyway. I'm running out of steam. What is on your wishlist this year? And are you more subtle in your hinting or do you just say "I want..." like me? :P

10 more days!

Velvet Love

Saturday night, I was a nervous wreck about meeting my friend's mom in the morning to show her my jewelry. I had no idea how to display the pieces, what to bring, how to dress... etc. It was an exhausting day at work and I am still battling a cold (though today it seems to have subsided quite a bit) and Saturday night, I fell asleep as soon as I got home. Before my eyes closed, RH mentioned cutting a piece of velvet for me from some he'd had saved for making a costume and I could lay it on the table for my friend's mom. I said that would be perfect and fell asleep.

Probably a few hours after, I woke up looking for him and saw him gluing something together and asked him what he was doing... I fell back asleep before he could even answer. And then a few hours after, he handed me a pillow of sorts. He had taken the time to glue some soft stuffing covered with the velvet to some cardboard so I could have a thing to drape the jewelry over! Such a sweet guy! Love love love.

Anyway, I was so nervous when my friend's mom showed up that I completely forgot about the pillow :( But now I have something else to photography jewelry on :)

The above picture is one of the newest pieces I've made. Copper and freshwater pearls for the nest. Fire polished glass linked together and finished with suede cord complete the necklace. My friend's mom purchased this from me along with a few other pieces and commissioned some as well. I'm going to be a busy girl!

Hope everyone is having a great week! 17 days til Christmas! YAY!

A Hug From Cid

I came into work yesterday and found this yummy scarf in my locker!

The tag read "A hug from Cid." My friend at work knitted me this beautiful scarf! I LOVE it. It's so pretty and warm and soft... I'm glad I didn't buy one on Wednesday when I went looking for gloves.

Can't seem to knock this cold out of my system. I'll feel better for a few days and then WHAM! It hits me again. Last night, I fell asleep sometime around midnight which is early for me because I usually go to bed around 2 or 3 (hey, I don't usually have to be at work until around 1pm, so there :P). Then I woke up at 6am... and now, at 7:30am, I feel like I'm going to crash... and crash I will because I have to be at work at 1pm anyway and have no energy to do anything else.

Thank you, Cid, for the beautiful scarf!