Bad Blogger! Bad!

I'm not a very good blogger.  As much as I enjoy it, sometimes it starts to feel like just another thing to do. I don't like that. So, I'm back for now, and only when it's fun, and only when I want to. So what have I been doing over the last year or so? Pretty much the same stuff that I was doing before. Interesting right? I am still a full time student. The only change with school is I now attend the University of New Mexico.  I'm a senior, but the way the credit system is at UNM, I'll be a senior through 2014. 

I saw the ocean for the first time ever last year.

So did my boys. They flew for the first time too. It was pretty awesome!

Ocean Beach San Diego

Chad... and my husbands knuckles.

Chad and David

David loves the tidepools

Some of you may wonder how one can go 34 years without ever seeing the ocean, and the answer is simple, I am poor and the closest ocean is 800 miles away. 

We went to San Diego, and we're hoping we can make it again. 

In June we went to Galveston for a family reunion.

Galveston... a lot of seaweed. 

I went from never seeing having seen the ocean, to twice in one year! Pretty exciting.  Galveston was not near as pretty as San Diego, but the water was really warm and the kids loved playing in the Gulf.  Galveston is nearly a thousand miles away from Albuquerque. We Drove... With 3 boys (we took my nephew) crammed in the backseat of my moms Prius. She loaned it to us. We drove for 18 hours one way, and that car only needed a fill-up twice. That's four tanks of gas for nearly 2000 miles! 

My Grandma is still living with us. Her dementia has gotten quite a bit worse, but otherwise her health is surprisingly good, for a former drinker, smoker, and serious eater. She attends a center twice a week and loves it.  She didn't at first. She even tried to fake sick, but now she doesn't want to miss a day. I think she would love to go more, but the center doesn't have space to fit her in right now... I think we have to wait for someone to die or something. Seriously... I think that might be the cases. 

I had closed my etsy shop for a while so I could focus on school. It's open now, but there's not much new stuff. It's one of those things where you have to sell your old stuff so you can make new stuff. I really don't hold out a lot of hope for it. I don't re-post for views. I don't advertise. I just let it sit. I'll give it a few months,  and try to decide if I really want to continue. If not, then I've got some jewelry I can keep for myself, and that's okay too.

It Took All Day

No joke. I had over 20 pieces of jewelry that I had not photographed and uploaded on to my etsy shop. All day. Photographing. Editing. Entering. Uploading. It's finally done. Feedback on my new items please! I would really appreciate it! follow this link! 

Focus

I would say that right now I am lacking focus. I think that if you look at my blog you can see it for yourself. I'm all over the place and only post sporadically. I haven't been working on my jewelry, I procrastinate on my homework, and my house hasn't been really clean for months and months.

Of course if you ask those who know me they'll wonder if my house has ever truly been clean, and rightly so. My friends and family know that I only really scrub my house down when I'm hosting a gathering, and even then, my bedroom will be off limits because that is where i hide my piles of unfolded laundry, the children's rooms will be toy ridden minefields of disaster, and there will stacks and file piles in every corner of the house. But to answer their question, yes. Once upon a time my house was really clean. Top to bottom clean. Five years ago. For about two months. Right after we moved in. Then I gave up.

Now jewelry. I've got ideas! I know I can bring those ideas to fruition. BUT, I have no money to make it happen. The adorable boutique that was carrying my items closed. (now let us all bow our head for a moment of silence and shed a tear for Jilli Kae Everything Chic). I have plenty of jewelry that is not posted on my etsy. I have that jewelry photographed and edited. I have been to lazy to upload it. So here are some pics. I would like feedback-a-plenty on what you all think!









Also I've been making these button rings. I make them with vintage buttons as well as those I just really like. I started making them with sterling wire, but soon realized it was much more cost effective to make them with colored copper wire.





So please, FEEDBACK! Let me know what you think. Maybe hearing from you will help me get the lead out and upload all my goodies I have stashed away. Now off to look at my messy kitchen and decide to read my English assignments instead of clean.

New Stuff on my Etsy Site

Let me know what you think! Citique anyone?

OliveStreetStudio

I have been a fan of OliveStreetStudio since I first stumbled upon her blog and etsy shop. She makes the most adorable baby items as well as a few fun things for mom. With a new nephew on the way, I finally had a reason to buy a couple of her fabulous baby items!


When I saw this super cute monkey blanket I knew it I had to have it for our newest family member! I asked if I could get a matching bib, and she was happy to oblige. Now I have a sweet little gift set for the little monkey who will be joining us very soon.

Please visit her shop! Follow the link above and see the other pretties Jennifer has crafted! Here are some photos from her etsy site that I love, but have no reason to buy. Maybe you do?


This dress makes me want a little girl!


I love this sweet nursery rhyme blanket! So cute!

www.olivestreetstudio.blogspot.com

New Stuff on my Etsy Site

I've uploaded about 12 new items on my etsy. I worked my butt off and made some hoops and dangles. I used all the supplies I had on hand and when I get more I'll make more. My personal favorite creation is my "Cemetery Gates" necklace. Inspired by my clever husband, I designed a necklace to look like wrought iron gates. I named it after one of my favorite Smiths songs. Here's a pic and I would love to know what you think!

I won these cute pendants from little pink plum

These arrived day before yesterday! They are so cute! Thanks so much to littlepinkplum. If you would like to see more work by this artist please visit her etsy ...

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5603243

Or check out her blog!

http://janscraftynest.blogspot.com

Featuring Honeytree Photography

I was hard pressed to pick out a favorite photo from this artists etsy site, so, I picked two. Honeytree's site is filled with beautiful images that can carry you away. Take a look for your self!

http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5638169

Mess Magic

I'm in the creative throws of jewelry making. I got new metal clay, new wire, new chain, new ideas. It's so exciting! I don't know if anything will make it on my etsy or not. I have a few leads here in town. My friend and Boss told me that she talked to the owner of a gift shop in town and she's interested in carrying my stuff. Sahweet! She's so encouraging! It's good to know people who know people. Especially when you don't know very many people. Did that make sense?

Etsy :: HazelHoney :: pleated brown jersey and denim yo-yo tote

Etsy :: HazelHoney :: pleated brown jersey and denim yo-yo tote


I found this bag in shop local on etsy. I love it! Not very expensive either.

sale

Well, ask and you shall receive! I made a sale. Go figure all my pleading and shameless begging and I start February off with a sale. I'm taking it as a good sign. Now do I buy supplies or pay my phone bill. Hmmmmm. Supplies.

I NEED MONEY

So, not only did my husbands hours get cut this week, I made not one sale from my etsy for January. I will Make deals!!!!!! Please if you are interested in any of my work or my husbands let me know. I WILL MAKE DEALS!!!! Please visit our shops. if you want anything convo and I'll see what I can work out.

http://ifihadahammer.etsy.com

http://bixbybrainstorm.etsy.com

I don't even know what's good anymore.

Before

After

I've been trying to work on my photographs for etsy. The truth of the matter is I photograph things all the time at work. By the time I get to photographing my things I'm exhausted and don't give a shit. Bad I know. I recently re-shot everything and I'm working on editing the pics, and getting them up. I don't know if they're better or not. I'm trying to stream line the shop and use a consistent background in the new photos. I thought it might give my shop a cleaner look. Opinions? Please be free with them!

So my boys were in the tub early this morning. they are 7 and 4. When I went to get them out my youngest, David, announced to me that "We are finding our balls." Then they pinched their testicles to show me how they can isolate their little nads. I write this stuff down so I can remember and use it as blackmail when they are older.

I just sent my oldest, Chad, to the bus stop. I always feel anxiety about this. This is the first year he's taken the bus, and for about the first nine weeks he wanted me to walk him to the bus stop, then he told me he wanted to walk alone. It's only a block and a half away but it still makes me nervous. we don't have any kids on our street to send him with. We live on retirement row. I decided to to let him. He feels so proud and independent. I don't want to squash those feelings. But on my super anxious days, I drive by the bus stop on the way to work and look for signs of a struggle, then call the school to make sure he got there in one piece.