My 1st Anniversary!!

Today is Imprint By Eileen's official 1st anniversary! On August 30th of last year, I filed my business certificate here in NYC and made my company official. You can see the evidence on the left! I cropped out the part that actually says August 30th, so you'll just have to trust me :) What an amazing year it has been--a crazy, amazing, amazingly difficult and amazingly fun first year in business. It's hard to quantify just how much I have learned and grown, as a business and a person.

This is me from last October, on the very first day I ever sold my jewelry in person at a market. This particular market was in a church basement--I clearly remember how nervous I was that first day. Nervous about everything--what to do with my money, how to set up the jewelry, how to talk to customers, and so on. I will never forget my very first customer--she was a young woman with long dark hair, and she bought an $18 memory wire bracelet from my table. After she walked away, I almost cried I was so excited. I made $120 that first day--although at least half of that was probably from my friends. Either way, it was my first experience watching people interact with my jewelry, and it was thrilling.

It's amazing to think that now, my store on Broadway has been open almost six months. I am so used to selling my jewelry in person now, and I've learned so much about how to interact with customers. The more time that passes, the better I get at everything. I think the jewelry I'm making now is so much better than the jewelry I was making a year ago. Which makes me excited to see what I'm going to be making next year! Everything happens one slow step at a time, but that's how it has to be. I still worry about what the future holds--my own future, and the future of my company--but I just keep on going, day after day, trying to do the best I can. And before I know it, I bet another year will have passed! Thank you so much to everyone who has helped support the first year of my company--I couldn't have done it without you!

Supply Shopping For My Store...

I did a big jewelry shopping trip yesterday to pick up some of the things I need for some upcoming custom orders. I was out for a couple of hours--it's amazing how quickly time goes when I'm in a bead store (or four)! If nobody gave me a watch, I could easily spend an entire day in a single store.... That is an experiment I would not want to try, actually--even with a watch, I always spend twice as long in a store as I think I will! I ended up going to four different stores yesterday, and you can see some of the stuff I bought here. I'm running out of my Robyn earrings (you can see an example HERE and HERE) at the store, and I need to make more! Each pair takes a while to sculpt too, so I will have to get working on those tomorrow.... While I was out, I also picked up some new fun beads and stones to work with. I have a feeling I will be posting some new pieces soon.... I still haven't put up new things on my online store, but I promise they are coming!! Tomorrow is my official one year anniversary, and I have to add at least a few special things to commemorate the occasion :)

Back To Blogging!!

So, I accidentally took a vacation from blogging this week! The combination of a nasty hangover combined with a nasty eye infection left me feeling like I needed to have a lazy day or two this week....which I totally did, and it felt amazing :) And now I am feeling refreshed and I am officially back to the blog! Today I thought I would write a little bit about all the new brass jewelry I've been making lately. You can see a few of my favorite examples here! The first two necklaces are simple charm necklaces hanging from long brass chains--small, delicate brass charms dangle with gemstones in different color combinations. I like that the necklaces are so simple, but so special. Almost like you're wearing a small talisman under your clothes....

I don't usually use a lot of brass in my designs, but I've been having fun working with it lately. Brass can be very shiny and look almost like gold when it is polished, but I really like it with a darker finish. I like that it has an antique, almost rusted look. It gives each piece a look that I really like!

I also really love the butterfly necklace below--I used seven different colors of stones in an ombre (light to dark) effect. The necklace is delicate and versatile, but it also really stands out when you wear it. I made one for myself, and I have rarely taken it off since. The color scheme of this one is white to black, but I really want to try making it in a few other color schemes as well. I could easily use colors similar to those used in the two charm necklaces--maybe one in blues and greens, and another one in pinks and purples. I think both of those would look great and give the necklace a little bit of a fun and different look! I have yet to add any of these pieces to my website, but I will do it tomorrow for sure. I have lots of new stuff that is just waiting to get added to my online store! But I don't have time tonight--because now, I have to go clean up the house before my boyfriend gets home!! He's been gone for five days, so all my jewelry supplies have slowly expanded all over the house. Now it's time to get them all back to my jewelry desk! I have an hour until his plane lands....wish me luck :)

Jewelry Fun With Celine!

Today, my friend's sister Celine came to hang out with me at my store for the day--and we had lots of fun! She helped me design a beautiful blue and gold bracelet and earrings set--you can see her modeling the finished bracelet here. I let her pick out whatever stones she wanted me to use, and I turned them into a funky, sea-inspired bracelet. Some of the stones she selected are very different from the kind I would usually use, which I love! She chose some tiny blue teardrop beads--beads that have been in my supply stash for months, but that I couldn't seem to figure out how to use. It turns out, they make a perfect addition to a memory wire bracelet!

I also wanted to make a special piece of jewelry for Celine, that she could take home to Paris with her--she loved the hand jewelry I was wearing, so we decided to make her one of those. Her favorite color is blue, so I used some pretty turquoise stones with layered copper chain. And since she was there, I was able to size it perfectly to her hand! It looks great, and it is special, one of a kind piece of jewelry just for her :)

A big thank you to Celine for a fun day!!!

My Intern For The Day!

Tomorrow, I have an intern coming to help me out for the day at my store! It's not an "official" internship or anything, but I think it will be a lot of fun. My good friend's sister is visiting this week from Paris, and she is going to be hanging out tomorrow at 12 Lions--to help me out, and also to learn a little bit about what I do. Tonight, I've been trying to think up some fun stuff for her to help me do.... I just hope that she has fun and doesn't get too bored! A slow day at that store can sometimes feel like years... I will post some pictures of us and our jewelry activities tomorrow!

I also forgot to write yesterday about the fabulous pink earrings I photographed myself wearing with my new haircut! They are the work of the fabulous NYC based jewelry designer Issy Salomon, who I met last year. I was his neighbor for several weekends at the designers' market that used to be on 14th St. He was one of my favorite designers at the market--his work is beautiful, and he's a really, really nice guy. One week, we decided to do a jewelry trade--he got one of my soldered pendant necklaces, and I got these fabulous earrings!! I love them, but I don't often get to wear them. They're bright pink, which means I have to be feeling confident enough to put them on. I also can't really wear them at my store--I do wear jewelry sometimes that is not my own, but it doesn't really make sense for me to wear other designers' statement pieces. At least not at my store--it's just too confusing, I think, for the customers. And for me! But they do look particularly fabulous with my new haircut I think :) So, that's the story of the earrings, and if you want to see more of his work you can find his website HERE. Have a good night everyone!!

My Hair Is Gone!!!

Well, not all of my hair is gone--just a lot of it is! It is a pretty rare thing for me to spend money on a haircut--I regularly go many months (if not years!) between cuts. But a few months ago I went to Super Cuts in the East Village and got a pretty crappy haircut. (In fairness, what did I really expect for 20 bucks?!) My hair has been growing out kind of funny ever since--I typically had all kinds of frizzy craziness going on in the back, which was not a very cute look. So I made myself an appointment at Platinum Salon on Rivington the other day, which is only about ten minutes from my house.

I really wanted to do something different--I had been feeling lately like I needed a "change" of some kind. You know, my one year anniversary in business, the changing seasons, and so on... When I was in my early 20's and wanted a change, I would typically go out and get a myself either a piercing or tattoo. But this time, a funky new haircut sounded just right!

In the late 90's, I had a poster of Sarah McLachlan in my bedroom that I loved. She had a short, spiky haircut that I thought was awesome, and I always had a fantasy of having my hair cut that short and wearing it all spiked up in the back. But I never had the guts to go so short--I remember trying to bobby pin my hair up so it looked the same, but obviously that never worked out too well. But today, finally, I actually have hair that is short enough to be spiked up in the back like Sarah's!!! I noticed that with satisfaction as Christian finished cutting my hair today. My fantasy of having Sarah McLachlan's hair has finally come true! It only took me about 15 years to make it happen :)

I like how asymmetrical the cut is--part long, part short, super funky. Just what I wanted! I think it's fun to change up my style every now and then... Today, I am feeling pretty fierce. You can admire my hair from a side view below! It's just waiting for some hair gel, and then my Sarah fantasy will be fully realized...

More Hand Jewelry

I keep making hand jewelry for myself, but I still haven't added a single piece to either of my stores! I have been wearing one of the two pieces you see on this page every single day since I first made them. I can't believe how much I like them! They are super comfortable and pretty, and they go with everything! I usually wear them with a ring or two, like you can see in the first picture.

The turquoise and brass hand piece below is the first style I ever made, and I wore it on my right hand every day up until last week, when I designed the copper one you can see in the first picture. I now love them both, and have a choice every morning of which one I want to wear! People keep asking me about them at my store, too--just the other day, two girls were interested, and I promised to email them as soon as I actually got them up for sale.

But the problem I keep running into is sizing! These things are only comfortable and wearable when they fit perfectly--if any part of the chain is too long or short, the whole piece really doesn't work. I know, because it took me awhile to figure out how to size them correctly for my own hands! I could probably at least sell them at my store at 12 Lions--when someone wanted to buy one there, I could just size it exactly to their hand while they waited. But on my website, I really can't do that! I considered just making the wrist part of each piece adjustable, but each person's hands vary so much in size that I still don't think that would even be enough to make them fit everyone. Unless I got someone's ring size, wrist measurement, and hand size! If someone wants to break out a tape measurer and gather all those sizes for me, then I could definitely make them some perfectly fitting hand jewelry!!

And finally, here is a random thing I saw today while wandering around Chinatown! Babies in various poses with Vanilla Ice's face....I hate anything involving "talking babies" or babies with adult heads (those E-Trade commercials are my nightmare!), but I actually thought this was kind of funny! Enjoy :)

From My Theater Days...

It is with a mix of emotions that I am posting today--I happened to come across some old photos a few hours ago and just couldn't resist putting them up here on my blog. All the shots on this page are from the glamorous days of my technical theater past! That's me on the left in the first picture cleaning goat's blood off a mattress--yes, there was a real (dead) goat in the show, and no, I have definitely not eaten any goat meat since!

That's me at the lighting board in the second picture--with the lovely Eric Dyer of Radiohole, of course! It is impossible to estimate just how many hours I spent at that light board, programming and designing dozens and dozens of shows. Some really wonderful things and people came into my life through the four years that I spent at that theater--it's where I met my boyfriend (of now almost four years!), and it's where I met and worked with countless amazing people from all over the world, many of whom I am still friends with to this day.

At the same time, it is also still painful for me to look at these photos and think back to that time in my life. My time at the theater ended when my job was eliminated, and when I was passed over for a promotion that would have kept me employed. It's the reason that I spent much of last year on unemployment, and the reason that I will never quite be able to think of the people I work with, as much as I may like them, as my "family" ever again.
But it is also, happily, the reason that Imprint By Eileen was born.

In my early days of unemployment, when I was consumed with sadness and anger, I started making jewelry to fill my days. There is something very meditative about making jewelry--part of it comes from working with your hands, from touching materials and turning them into something else, something beautiful. I started to find a great deal of satisfaction and joy in creating jewelry, and I started to wonder whether a jewelry company of my own was something that I could seriously pursue.

I lost my job on June 29th of last year, and it is nothing short of amazing to me that now, in less than two weeks, my company will celebrate its very first anniversary. When I think of the physical and emotional journey that I have gone on throughout this past year, I feel intensely proud, and I also feel excited and hopeful about the future. No, I don't make as much money as I used to make, back when I worked at the theater (yet!). And yes, I do sometimes miss working with other people. Some days, I even miss having a boss! (Hey, it can be tough to be responsible for every decision!) And I definitely miss the way a team of people usually managed to come together at the theater to create something beautiful. It was as exciting and satisfying as it was fun.

But everything I am doing now with my jewelry company has been created almost entirely by me, with my own hands. And I'm not just talking about the jewelry! When I needed a website, I learned how to make one myself. When I needed business cards and a logo, I figured out how to make those too. I have done my best this past year to develop my company as best I can. Which is also due, in no small part, to the wonderful friends and family who have stuck by me this past year, during some of my darkest hours. It is to these people--people who offered their money, their time, advice, skills, and emotional support--it is to those people that I owe my deepest debt of gratitude, and to whom my first year in business is dedicated.

I really can't wait to see how my company grows, or where it goes from here. But here, on this page....this is the story of where it came from.
Thank you all for being here to share this journey with me!
It means more than you know :)

My Favorite New Design!!

I am obsessed with this new wire wrapped earring design--a few silver and crystal pairs were the first to go up on my website last week, but now I've made some gold sets too! The two pairs that you see on this page are my favorites--the first pair is wrapped with silver Swarovski pearls, and the second pair uses faceted hematite, which is a really beautiful and shiny dark stone. I am a huge fan of mixed metals, and both of these pairs have a really elegant, mixed metals look to them, which I love. I don't work with pearls very often, and when I do, they are rarely the focal point of a piece. But these earrings just might have changed my mind! I love how all the wire adds so much shape and asymmetry to them, which makes them a lot of fun to look at. And, of course, fun to wear!

Basically, I will be making a pair of these for myself sometime very soon! The next color combination I want to try is silver hoops with gold pearls--which might just be the combination I use for the pair I make myself...

I have been on a roll this week with making new earrings for my store--I started getting inspired on Thursday, and I haven't stopped since! Today I finally had to take a break to make a few bracelets and necklaces, because I started to run out of merchandise. Which, as always, is an excellent problem to have!

You can see some of the other styles of earrings that are currently on display at my store in the picture below. They look much more impressive in person, but you can at least appreciate the cool clock display that I made back in March! If you want to see the earrings in more detail, I guess you'll just have to come visit me at 12 Lions!! :)

A Necklace For Julie!

As most of you know, one of my favorite parts of being a jewelry designer is creating custom pieces. Whether I'm designing something from scratch or adapting an existing design, it's one of the most satisfying and fun parts of what I do. I always enjoy collaborating with a customer to make something special for them--they love it, and so do I!

Today I got to make a fun custom order for a really sweet girl visiting the city. She came into the store with her family, and she liked a necklace I had in silver, but she wanted it in gold, on a much longer chain. We went through a few options before deciding on using a brushed gold hoop with rustic brass chain. Initially she wanted me to use neutral gemstone colors; I was going to make the necklace using onyx, mother of pearl, and hematite--basically, all blacks, whites, and grays. But we ended up going with the spinel stones that I had used in the silver version of the necklace, and I am so glad we did! I love the rough polish of these stones, and they come in all different shades of red, purple, pink, and brown. Really pretty gemstones--when they are really polished up and have the right cut to them, they look very similar to rubies. But this cut of stone was perfect with the gold and brass--I actually ended up liking this version of the necklace even more than the silver one I made!

Now I am all out of spinel stones though....next time I go on a shopping run, I will have to see if I can find another strand. If I can, I will be posting this version of the necklace to my website and naming it after Julie!

You can see Julie modeling her necklace below!! Now I want one for myself :)

New Wire Necklaces!

Today at the store I got inspired to make lots of new things--including the two wire wrapped pendants that you see here. I will try to post better pictures tomorrow... Or maybe I will even put them on my website! I found the crystals at a bead store a couple of days ago, and I initially thought I would make them into pairs of earrings. But once I started wrapping the wire on and adding some small beads, I realized that they would be perfect as pendants. I really like things that look a little bit "messy" but still have a polished look. I like that these look almost like wire birds' nests wrapped with small crystals and pearls..... I really like them and want to make one for myself to keep--which always happens with new designs!

I think these might end up being a perfect addition to my holiday line... My mom is working on the finished versions of the four pieces she will be making for our holiday collaboration--I can't wait to see them next week! And once I have them paired with some jewelry, I will start debuting them here!!

Growing A Thick(er) Skin

I was recently going through old books in my apartment, and out fell an evaluation from an internship I did back in 2006. I laughed while I reread it, but also with the realization of how upset I must have been when I first received it almost six years ago. The evaluation was incredibly critical--it berated me for not arriving to work early enough (the only place I've ever worked where arriving five minutes early was actually considered late!), and for a lack of confidence. Gee, I wonder why I had confidence issues there?!?? There were a few good points mixed into all the mean, but come on--I was 22 years old, brand new to New York City, and making far less than minimum wage while working grueling 50-80 hour weeks! All to get ripped to shreds every time an evaluation came around. I would never, ever put myself through such a thankless experience again. But looking back, I can finally appreciate that it was a valuable exercise in learning how to deal with critical people and difficult situations. I came to New York very naive and very eager, with a very thin skin. I have always been both overly sensitive and a people pleaser--two things that do not always, if ever, tend to serve you well in life. My first internship in the city was the first time that I had really ever had to learn how to deal with direct criticism. I realized that I could take in what was helpful and constructive, while allowing the rest to roll off, away from me.

I learned that just because someone is critical or disagrees with something does not mean that they are right. Sometimes you have to endure a bad situation, like the internship that I did. I only worked there for a year, but plenty of people work for years under harsh bosses and overly critical colleagues. There is a fine line between thickening your skin and losing your spirit, and it's helpful to do the former but never the latter. The other day, at my store, after listening to some unintentionally rude and critical comments directed at me and my jewelry, I realized just how much my skin has thickened in the six years that I have been in New York. It makes sense, though--in the years since I received that first intern evaluation, I have grown a lot. I have learned how to disagree with colleagues and bosses both, in a professional context. Finally, I have learned how to stand up firmly for myself. It doesn't mean that everything is always perfect and great, but it does mean that I no longer defer to other people's opinions. And when people have criticism for me, I try my best to first listen, take the things that I can from it, and then let the rest go. It's not always easy, and it's not like my skin is so thick that I don't feel anything. I'm still a sensitive person at heart who likes to make people happy. But now instead of bleeding, I mostly just bruise. And I have learned that no matter what, life goes on! And is, for the most part, pretty awesome.

A Jewelry Photo Shoot!

Yesterday, I spent more than two hours photographing about twenty new pieces of jewelry in my backyard. I got about a hundred mosquitoes bites too in the process--so hey, I suffered to make this happen!

They pieces are not all "new" per se--plenty of them have been at my store for a week or more, but they are definitely all new to my online store. I have tried hard to be better about keeping my online shop well stocked and updated with new merchandise, but it can be a time consuming thing that is easy to fall behind on. So I have been trying to pack in as much photography as I can when I'm not working at my store! You can see one of my new pairs of earrings here--they are actually one of the most popular earring styles that I sell at my store, so I figured it was high time to add them to my website. They are named after Olympia Dukakis, who owns a beautiful pair of them in silver. If you look on my website, you'll notice that most of my pieces are named after women--some of them are just names that I think are beautiful and "fit" the piece. But I really like to use the name of a woman who has bought that particular piece if I can. It gives the piece a special story and a personal touch, both of which are important to me. So, these earrings are for Olympia. I hope she is wearing them around NYC and enjoying them very much!!

And if you are interested in getting a pair of Olympia earrings for yourself, you can click HERE! Have a good night everyone :)

A Few Things About Today...

1. I am officially in a post-Olympics depression!!! What am I supposed to watch on TV now??? How can I go back to all the stupid reality shows??? For two weeks straight, I looked forward to watching the Olympics every single night. Sure, there was controversy about the scope of NBC's coverage, and certainly, they didn't manage to cover everything. But I watched at least three or four hours every night nonetheless and I LOVED it! I watched gymnastics, swimming, diving, everything track and field, beach volleyball....even table tennis! I even watched trampoline--I mean, really, who knew that was even a sport?!? Sigh. I want the Olympics back. I know the winter ones are coming in two years...but eh. Summer is where it's at. Four more years to go, dammit!!

2. I arrived home last night, exhausted and very hungry, to the best meal EVER. Nick made homemade Chick-fil-A sandwiches for us, complete with the buttered bun, pickle chips, and a nice, tall pitcher of sweet tea. I still sneak in meals at Chick-fil-A when I go home to North Carolina sometimes (I did work at a Chick-fil-A for four years as a teenager--complete with dressing up as the cow for special events). But ever since Dan Cathy opened his mouth about gay marriage, I feel guilty about buying their chicken, knowing that my money--even if it's only a few cents each time I eat there--is going to support a cause I abhor. Yes, I believe in free speech yada yada yada....but I also believe in the power of my dollar NOT helping in any way to fund hateful crap. So it was really, really nice last night to eat a delicious fried chick sandwich, minus the anti-gay sentiment. Doubly delicious! And so Nick officially wins his second gold medal of the week :) If you want to try your hand at making your own Chick-fil-A sandwiches, check the recipe out HERE! I think Nick actually used a different one, but this one mentions so many important details--how to get the bread right, how to brine the chicken for the perfect consistency..... Basically, you can get as crazy and detailed with this recipe as you like. And no matter what you do, I can pretty much guarantee that it will make you a really tasty sandwich, even if you've never even eaten Chick-fil-A!

My First Jewelry Party!

So my first ever jewelry party finally happened last night, and it was AWESOME!! As I suspected, all my stress was for nothing, because the night was tons of fun, I sold some jewelry, and I got to hang out with my friends at the same time!

It was a relatively small crowd, which was absolutely perfect. Every single person there was a close friend, which made the entire night a lot of fun. It also made me realize how lucky I am to have such wonderful, supportive people in my life! Who all wanted to come out to the East Village last night and help Imprint By Eileen celebrate its first anniversary in style :) I briefly considered the idea of buying Imprint By Eileen a birthday cake for the party, but I ended up with a plate of pink and white meringue cookies, which were great. At the last minute I almost scrapped the idea of sangria due to the time crunch of making it, but in the end I made it happen--I ended up making a white and a red, which were both equally good! I used Juli Raja's super special and super secret sangria recipe, which was absolutely delicious. I think I will spend the remainder of the summer making pitchers of it for myself and Nick--partially because it is a delicious beverage, and partially because we now have about a dozen bottles of wine in our fridge! Which is a pretty great problem to have :)

Nick helped me do so much last night--I was so grateful and happy that he was able to be there. He also wins the gold medal for the night because after everyone left, he stayed up and washed every single dish. And for that, he is awesome!! You can also see a few pictures here of the beautiful jewelry displays he helped me set up all around the house. I didn't take very many pictures, mostly because everyone was out in our backyard most of the time. And the backyard was lit with exactly three candles, so while it was a perfect place to hang out, it was not a prime place for photography to happen. So this is the best that I got! You will just have to trust me that the party was awesome and beautiful :)

I am already thinking up what I want to do for next year's anniversary party....

12 Lions Ladies Night!

Last night, I was supposed to go straight home to set up for the jewelry party I'm having later tonight. But I ended up getting sidetracked in a major and really fun way by the 1st official 12 Lions Ladies' Night, hosted by the lovely Rose Berger of Yoga Twins Jewelry. You can see a sampling of the delicious things that we ate for dinner--spicy peanut noodles, heirloom tomato salad, fresh figs from someone's backyard, kale salad, and spiced potatoes. I thought I was going to stay less than an hour, which quickly turned into four! It was just so nice to all sit down at a table together, without having to worry about watching our shops at the same time. I was the only asshole who didn't bring a dish to share--but I will bring something extra delicious to make up for it for next time! And there better be a next time, because this was really fun. It's so nice to get an interesting and fun group of women together!! It happens all too rarely in my life--so this was a really special night.

Then I went home around midnight and did a drunken jewelry party set up at my house! But luckily everything at my house really does look great (I double checked it this morning!). So I am excited--and ready, finally!--for my party tonight. Wish me luck!!

Exciting Things Are Coming...

The earrings you see on this page are what I spent all day yesterday making! Well, not all day....I probably made about five different pairs altogether, in different variations. And I was actually a little bit busy at my store too, so talking to customers also made the day go by quickly. These earrings did take a good bit of time each--they are all wrapped by hand, one small stone at a time, so they are part wire sculpture, part beaded, part hoop...a little bit of everything goes into them. They are incredibly fun to make though--I think this is one style of earring that I really want to use in my holiday jewelry line. They can be any kind of metal, they can be any color, they can be any size or shape, etc. There are so many options available--so many ways to make them special and unique for each customer. It's also easy to make them in different price point, depending on the metals and stones used. So I think you all might be seeing more of these earrings soon.... And there will definitely be better pictures of them too--these are pretty crappy, but you at least get the idea!

Also! I finally got the package in the mail from my mom last night with the very first samples of the pieces she will be making for our 2012 collaborative holiday line. I am really excited about it--seeing some of the things she has made in person for the first time made me feel even more excited and inspired. I want to start selling them now--I don't want to wait for Thanksgiving!!!

I was going to post pictures today of the things she made, but I think I'm actually going to wait so that everyone can be surprised! Or I will at least wait until we have a final version of each piece, and then I can debut them here one at a time or something.... It's so much fun to actually be working on something with someone else for a change! My mom kept telling me that I needed to make all the decisions on which pieces would get made, but I kept telling her that I really didn't want to! I really, really just want her to make the things that she is inspired to make. She knows my style, and she has a great eye and great taste, so I really do trust her to make great things. Which is priceless, and I have not been disappointed at all! I have been so impressed with what she has come up with... Much better than what I would have said, too! So I am excited to post more about this project soon :)

And--tomorrow night, finally, is my very first jewelry party ever!! I'm still a little bit nervous, but Nick will be there to help me set up and host, so that takes some of the pressure off me, which is great. And I know that no matter what happens, I will have a fun night with my friends, at the very least! Which, still, is awesome. I will let you know how it goes.....keep your fingers crossed for me!

You know, I never did post before and after pics of my home studio, but I will definitely do it tomorrow. The only picture I have with me right now is a "before" pic, and that is just way too scary without the "after"!! Trust me :) So I will be posting that tomorrow so you can all marvel at my current level of cleanliness and organization. Ha! Now I just have to keep it that way...

Happy Friday everyone!!

A Jewelry Discount!

I discovered Jennifer Van Dahm's wonderful blog recently--it's called When Pigs Fly, and it has everything from recipes and DIY projects to giveaways and more. I decided to sign up to advertise on her blog for the next two months--it's a fun blog, and I think her readers might really like my jewelry! I'm offering her readers (and anyone who reads this here, of course!) a 15% discount on all jewelry purchases through Oct. 8th, when my ad expires. You just have to use the coupon code PIGSFLY15 when you check out on my website. Jennifer also did a write up about my business--you can read that HERE! And while you're there, you can check out the rest of her blog. Enjoy!!

My Biggest Jewelry Order Ever!

Today I mailed out the biggest jewelry order I have had online so far! One of the many pieces that were purchased was this beautiful mirrored necklace that I made more than six months ago. This necklace is actually the only one of its kind that I ever made--I meant to make more, but it took so long to make that I just never got around to creating another one. I wouldn't have sold this necklace either if the customer hadn't asked for it specifically--she saw it on the first page of my website and really wanted it. Honestly, my first reaction was to say that I couldn't sell it--but then I realized that she would really love and appreciate it, and I'm happy that it is on its way to a new home with her. It does feel weird though whenever you sell a piece like that--something that you've had for months, that you just get used to having around. And then it's just gone. I even felt a little emotional when I packed it up today. But again--it's going to a good home, and I know Suzie is going to love it, so that makes it a little easier!

Here you can see the giant padded envelope that I sent all of her jewelry in today--that's a penny sitting on the left side of the envelope, so you can get some perspective of just how big this thing is. I fit eight different jewelry boxes in there! I think this is the biggest size padded envelope that I have ever seen sold.... It always feels satisfying to mail out an order though--I love packing everything up, knowing that very soon someone will be opening it up and hopefully feeling very excited about all of their jewelry! I might have to email her and ask her to take a picture of herself wearing the mirrored necklace... If she sends one, I'll post it here!! Goodnight everyone :)

I Am A Mess

I sometimes think that I am the messiest person in the world. Or at least the most unorganized. I have always been this way--I remember as a child shoving things under my bed in a lame attempt to make things appear "clean." I mean, I do clean my house--I do laundry, clean the bathroom, do the dishes, and so on. But I am really, really terrible about keeping the things that I own organized. If I need to find my check book? It takes twenty minutes while I dig through piles of crap. All of my jewelry supplies? Well, you see the evidence in the picture on this page! It is bad. The most pathetic part is that it's not like I don't try--I really do try! It's just that over time, the things I own creep back to their "natural" state, which is piles and piles of mess. This is going to be my project for the next few days--organizing all of my stuff, particularly my jewelry supplies. I have my jewelry party coming up on Saturday, and I really want everything at my house to be clean and put away so the only thing that people are stating at is the jewelry! Wow, do I have a lot of work to do.... It will probably be embarrassing, but I will post a before and after of my home studio once it's clean. (And then I just have to keep it that way!!!)

Anyone have some good tips for staying organized?? I could certainly put them to good use!

Good Jewelry Karma!

Some days are more challenging at my store than others, which is something that I'm sure anyone in the retail business can easily relate to. Actually, I think that anyone in any kind of business can probably relate to that. Particularly in any field that involves interacting with the general public on a regular basis! It's so easy for negativity to start to form over time--the day after day grind of long hours, few customers, rude people, slow sales, and so on, can quickly become a dark cloud above your head. Last week, I finally had enough of it. I had started to feel like a depressing broken record--always talking about how slow it was at the store, how worried I was about bad sales numbers, freaking out over how I would be able to pay the rent, etc. I certainly did not solve all these problems over the past week, but I did decide that I am not going to stress out about these things anymore. I am just not going to do it. It is too hard and too unpleasant, in addition to being just plain counterproductive. I instead decided to start really focusing on all the things that I actually can do to help my business. And freaking out is definitely not one of them!

Instead, I've been spending a lot of my recent time at the store working online. I've been reading business articles, talking to other business owners, looking for new ways to promote myself, etc. It feels good, because I actually feel productive, no matter what is happening on any one day at the store. And the truth is--it's early August. A month from now, many more people will be out shopping. But for now, there are other things I can focus on to help me and my business get better. And I can put all of these unhelpful worries aside.

Life is more enjoyable this way, too. I also believe--without sounding too much like The Secret here--that good energy does attract good things. I've been trying to go out of my way to be more generous than usual lately too, as a challenge to myself--when money is short, I tend to want to hang on pretty desperately to what I have. But I heard a quote once about it being better to have an open hand than a clenched fist, and I think that is very true. So that is my personal challenge to myself--a challenge that started after I did a free jewelry repair for a woman down the street last week. I don't usually repair jewelry, much less for free. But she was nice, and she loved this pair of earrings that she'd had for awhile, and I was able to make them as good as new for her with less than twenty minutes' work. It felt good to make her day. So I am going to try to keep all this positivity going! And that is my plan for the month of August :)

Anyone have any good business tips or ideas for me??? What do you do to stay positive?? Thanks everyone and have a good night!

Pictures of Jewelry & Me (as a French Maid)!

Remember that jump ring necklace I posted pictures of the other day?? I finally took some good photographs of it (as well as the matching earrings) and put it up for sale on my online store. Less than a day later, it has already sold! I am very excited that somebody loved it enough to buy it so quickly, but I am sad too because now all the pretty pictures of it aren't on my website anymore! I figured I would still post pictures of both pieces here though, so somebody can appreciate them! This way, you can also get a much better idea of what the necklace looks like--the photos I posted the other day were pretty sketchy...

I just ordered 500 sterling silver jump rings on ebay today in different sizes, so I can make a version of this necklace in silver. It will be expensive--this copper and bronze version was $140 for the set, so the silver version I'm planning will probably be somewhere north of $200. But it's going to be gorgeous--I already know I won't want to sell it and just want to keep it for myself! I can't wait til the jump rings arrive next week so I can hurry up and get to work. I will most definitely be posting pictures here as soon as it is done!

I thought that today, I would also post a few pictures of me from 2001, back from the summer I was 17! I am the second from left in both pictures--yes, the french maid in the first picture, and the one with the braces, khaki shorts, and black Beatles T-shirt in the second! Too funny. I spent that summer at Governor's School in NC--Governor's School sounds boring, but it's actually a really amazing 6 week, away-from-home, government funded arts program that 16 and 17 year olds get nominated for in the state. I have had a few girlfriends from decades past who have happily popped back into my life recently, one of whom supplied these pictures! You know how they say that deaths always come in threes? I feel like it might be the same thing with old friends. I can't believe that within days of each other, I heard from three totally different, special people from different parts of my life! Life is amazing sometimes.

Have a great night everyone!!!