I Am Thankful For...

I am joining in on this wonderful meme since Thanksgiving is tomorrow! There are so many things to be thankful for, but here are the main things:

*My daughter. Even though she tests my patience EVERY day, she is bright, creative, loving, and beautiful. I thank God I have her!
*My home. It may not be the greatest or where I want to spend the rest of my life, but I have a roof over my head. Not everyone can say the same.
*My family. I have a very supportive mother and grandmother who are always there for me. I am lucky to have them!
*My work. It may not bring me much as far as income, but I like what I do and I'm glad I have the creativity to do it!
*My pets, on Earth and in Heaven. I love my cat, Pumpkin because she loves me unconditonally. Andy will forever be in my heart.

Join in and let us know what you are thankful for! Happy Thanksgiving!

Getting Ready For the Holidays

I have been working furiously to get my site in order for the upcoming gift giving season. We are offering a 30% discount on all of our handcrafted jewelry!! Plus, I have added some new pieces to the site, including these Snowstorm earrings. I just love the look of these chandeliers, including the opal crystal teardrops.

We are also offering Free Gift wrap for those of you that can't stand wrapping gifts! Just include that in the comments section of your order. We still have Free Shipping, so why fight the crowds when you can shop from the comfort of your home?! Lastly, for those hard to buy for ladies on your list, we offer Gift Certificates! Order early for the best selection. I will be adding new items throughout the next coming weeks, but many of our pieces are limited edition.

Another artist getting ready for the holidays is Corinne from Daydream Art Studios. I first met her on Skwigga-zine, which is a great online community for independant artists. Check out these lovely ornaments that she made! Keep up the great work!

Look What I Won!!

I entered into a giveaway a few weeks ago on Posh Mama during one of Capitola Girl's "Friday Findings" posts. I was so impressed with the Photo Tile Pendant that was up for grabs, I didn't hesitate for a second. I was so pleasantly surprised to learn I won! I never win anything! Wendy from WithYouAlways was very accomodating and she had my photo ready for me to view in no time. I wasn't sure which photo to choose for my pendant. I knew I wanted it to have my daughter in it. Then I came across the one that adorns my necklace. As many of you faithful readers know, we had to put our precious dachshund, Andy, down a few months ago. While time has helped the pain slightly, there isn't a day that goes by that I don't miss him. What a wonderful way to remember him and my daughter always! I am very pleased with the quality of the necklace! Wendy was also a featured artist in my article that was published. I hope it brings her much success!

My Article Was Published!!

I have been a contributing writer on Boutique Flair for about a month now reporting on jewelry trends, gift ideas, and general info. Our editor, Krista, submitted the site to Blogburst last week and we were finally accepted. Well, I got the news today that my article entitled, "Pendant Make Great Gifts" was published by Computer Shopper in their gift guide! How cool is that? I'm very excited to know someone else likes what I have to say! I featured many talented artists, so please take a look!

Cool Blog Award!!

I was so excited to learn that I received a Cool Blog Award from Teresa at TopCat Creations! I really like blogging, but sometimes I feel no one really reads it. Or that they like what I have to say. Now I know at least someone does! I'm honored to pass the award on. Here are the rules:

1. Put the logo on your blog

2. Add a link to the person who awarded you

3. Nominate 10 other blogs for this award
4. Add links to those blogs

5. Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs

6. Give a reason why you consider their blogs cool

Here are my 10 Cool Blog Picks:

Under The Loupe

Designing Hilary

Margarita Bloom

La Dolce Vita

A Punkin Card Company

A Diva's Hammer

Daydream Art Studios

Design Thrift

Capitola Girl

Who Says 8 Is Enough?

I hope everyone is as thrilled as I was. Enjoy your award!

Jewelry That Is Fabulous & Eco-Friendly!

Jewelry is very beautiful and an essential part of many of our wardrobes. For me, it's my livlihood! However, the process used to create it is often environmentally destructive.
Mining for gold, silver and other metals is the United States’ leading source of toxic pollution. That may come as a surprise, but it can take the removal of 280 tons of rock just to produce one ounce of gold. That’s because mining companies often extract vast quantities of dirt and rock and then spray it with cyanide or other chemicals to leach out microscopic amounts of metal. It can pollute our air and water. So what's a girl to do?

You can wear antique pieces or heirloom jewelry that's been in your family. Also wearing natural or recycled materials is a better choice than new metal. There is some beautiful jewelry made of wood, bamboo, paper, and recycled products.

Take a look at these eco-friendly fabulous finds:

Curious Cat Earrings

Coca Cola Earrings

Molokai Real Orchid Necklace

Forest Fawn Ring

Go Green Bracelet Trio made of Cornstarch

Recycled Vinyl Butterfly Necklace

Recycled Glass Loop Earrings

Recycled Copper NecklaceEco-Friendly Rings

I hope you will check out some of these great pieces and help out the planet in the process! Join me next week for some more fabulous finds!

Originally posted on Boutique Flair.

Unexpected Friends

For most of my life I have had a few close friends. I tend to keep to myself and have always found it hard to talk to new people. Also, I am the kind of person who doesn't hide my feelings well. I try to be straightforward and I kind of tell it like it is. So people either like me or they don't I guess. Recently, I joined a mommy's group so Chloe and I would have some people to meet with and activities to do. I am so happy I did! I have met a lot of nice new friends that I hope to get to know a lot better.

In high school I had a very good friend who I did a lot of things with. We were close all throughout college, and through the beginning of our post-college jobs. However, we lost contact and hadn't talked to each other in over 7 years. Last week out of the blue, she called me hoping to reconnect. I was pleasantly surprised and happy to have her back in my life! She said she had been trying to find me and had been thinking about me for a long time. She had no idea I had a little girl and was very excited to learn that. I'm glad to have an old friend back!

I seem to make "friends" pretty easily online. Maybe because they don't know all your baggage or they just see you for what you present to them. I don't know, but I have really connected with Annette Piper of Under the Loupe. She is an amazing jewelry designer whom I've featured many times on my blog. I admire what she's done and how she is always there to lend advice or tips. It's too bad she lives all the way in Australia, because I would love to be able to chat with her. Please check out her blog because she shares her gorgeous designs and lots of knowledge!

What's Hot For Fall: The Statement Necklace

I absolutely love big and bold necklaces! Once and awhile I may opt for a dainty piece, but typically I like to jazz it up with an eye-catching number. I guess I'm fortunate because this season, it's all about making a statement! You can take the most ordinary outfit and turn it into extrodinary by adding the right jewelry. Here are just a few of my favorites:

The necklace pictured above is a stunner and handcrafted by Elaine Haydon of Elaine Haydon Jewelry. I'm a sucker for green, and this stick pearl and peridot piece is an absolute winner! Can't you just imagine this with a simple black dress or a pretty ivory blouse? You'll certainly stand out from the crowd!

If you want a dramatic piece, here it is! Handcrafted by Annette Piper of Dip.Gem. Handcrafted Jewellery, the Iliad is named for the Greek poetry. Annette is a gemologist who has turned her love of gemstones into works of art. Luxurious peruvian amazonite is accented with a bold Hill Tribe silver clasp. Wear it with a white button down and jeans for an unbelievable look!

This gorgeous design is handcrafted by Yazmin Wickham from A Pretty Rock. I love the combination of gemstones she used, plus the oxidized silver really makes it stand out. I would love to wear this with a neutral turtleneck this fall!

This last piece would be perfect for the holidays! This beautiful 5 strand garnet and silver necklace was handcrafted by Becky Augustine of Becky Augustine Jewelry. Wear the clasp to the side to show off the garnet ends! The deepness of the garnet would show up well against black, grey, and ivory. You'll look like a million bucks wearing this to your holiday parties!

Originally posted on Boutique Flair.