A New Set of Earrings in my Etsy Shop

I love coin pearls, I don't know what it is about them, but I am drawn to them. Pearls in general pique my interest, probably because no two are alike. Above is a set of classy earrings that are simple and totally my style. What do you think?

Sunday is for relaxing, and long runs? Uhhh...

Hey all. So, this is a nice Sunday morning. Had the usual wake-ups last night what with Logan rolling onto his belly and getting stuck, and then needing to eat around 2:30am...then Mike's alarm blairing at 5am and waking ALL of us up. He's really got to figure something else out...or at least turn that thing down. So, Mike got up and went for a 20 mile run and I am just hanging out here! It's cold out there; he must be miserable! AAAND it even snowed a little bit last night, yeyyy! Love it.

I started some Christmas decorating already, but I don't think it's too early because it will be here before we know it! We have a busy December: a trip to Tucson, a trip to Vegas, and a trip back east for the holidays. AGGH. So much. Maybe I can finagle my way out of one of them? I wanted to be rested and relaxed for the trip home but that might not happen...oh well. Tucson is the 1/2 marathon for me and marathon for Mike. I'm really dragging in my training. It's just so boring to run for longer than an hour by yourself, ya know? I could do speed work any day as it is variable and quicker than a long run...those long runs kill me with boredom...which is why I have been slacking on them. I really need to get a few more of them in before the race. The thing is, I know I can run the 13.1 just fine. And not at a bad pace either. At this point, though, I am not in good enough shape to get anywhere near my PR (1:47), so even if I really push it in my training I will only take off a couple seconds, maybe. Basically, I am just doing this to get in shape and finish the race etc etc. I don't have the base down to run much faster. Maybe in the spring I'll be ready to try and close in on that PR. We'll see.


New necklace above is at my shop. http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34536938 (something is wrong with my link thing? Hmm I don't know.)

Have a great Sunday :-)

New Etsy Jewels on a New Monday

I finally got some pictures uploaded of new jewelry. They'll soon be listed in my shop - so watch out for them. It's hard to get things done around here with (two) males taking up most of my time. Yikes. What will life be like when Logan is big? I'm scared to even think about it. That's not even factoring in the probability of us having another kid. OHHH MAN. AHHH!

Anywhooo, look below for some new stuff. I'm trying to get inventory up for Christmas! Watcha think?

Alllright, so, it's almost an end to another Monday. :::sigh::: I got away with sitting here in silence while baby slept - I think he was catching up on a couple days of wakefulness and crabiness! Were both men in my life crabby this weekend? Ummm kinda. Yet another :::sigh::: I'm still riding my happy wave as best as I can, though! I hope you all have a great week. We'll catch back up soon.

Lisbet

New Jewelry in Etsy Shop

Thanks for all the comments, emails, suggestions from my last post. I really was/am at a crossroads. I guess it's tough, and sometimes I don't give myself any credit. It's hard when you live with someone (a guy...?) who doesn't always understand. All men are different, some more sympathetic than others...such is life. Just roll with the punches, I guess. I did like Grove's idea of childcare...that's something to think about. Oh, and Grove my email is Lloiselle84@gmail.com - send me your address so I can send you the book.

Rainy here in NM, which is great because we never get any! I have a new jewelry set for you all to check out. It's here in my shop. The necklace is pictured below, you can see the earrings in my Etsy shop.
Ohhh wow. This will be short, funny how babies don't want you to do anything that means not paying attention to THEM. Someone is crying my name, lol.

See ya!

An end to a weekend, running and fatigue

some art today from an Etsy artist

I had a breakdown today. Who knows why. Oh, maybe because I'm tired? Why am I SO tired? I really dont know why. I am making new jewelry, writing new articles for some websites I write for, training for a race, and trying to get through every day. Yet, still I feel messed up. I'm sad, I'm mad, I cry, I yell...is this all post-partum junk? Because really, I'm tired of it, people. Please tell me that it will end. I know I'm not nuts, but I need to get a grip. Things will beeeee ok. Anywho, I'm here watching HGTV, hubbyooo fell asleep watching football (is any Sunday any different?). I hope you all had a great weekend. Tomorrow is another day. Some inspiration for your life is above...

Speaking of today, Mike ran the Duke City 1/2 Marathon today for fun, and ran a 1:29:02. Yeyyy! A NM PR, the altitude has killed him since we moved here, but he finally ran really well, and is stoked for our race in Tucson in Dec. He's doing the full and I'm doing the 1/2. Only reason he's doing the full is to qualify for the Boston Marathon again, but me? Ha, the 1/2 is just enough for post-baby. Maybe a full is in the cards for later on...

Friday Art and Jewelry Photos

A recent painting of mine...

Another painting by yours truly...


A print from a lovely Etsian...

My latest necklace...

Have a great weekend my friends, be happy, be healthy.

New Four-Strand Necklace

This is a new necklace I managed to get done even with all of our company around. Now, they are gone, and hopefully I will be able to get more work done! The necklace is available in my shop - have a look! Do you like the glass? I personally think glass is great to work with because it catches light beautifully...and we all like a little sparkle, don't we?

Pretty Glass and Crystals

A shot of the aspens ~ from our weekend in Angelfire, NM

Afternoon all! It's a beautiful day here in NM. I had some free time to myself this morning because our visitors went up to the hot springs, so I was able to work on new jewelry and and do a bit of laundry. In a while I'll scoop our little man up and head to the gym. I didn't get my workout in yesterday due to our guests...okay it's not their fault but I am going to blame them anyway. We went up to Santa Fe and ate and drank (wine) instead. Not so bad, right? Well I'm back on the wagon today, and here is my latest...

it's here in my Etsy shop now....!

And I was tinkering around and came across these cute earrings ~ dainty and light, they look like they'd be great for everyday wear! Don't ya agree?

Alright, have great weekend all!

Icey Jewels

Something new...in my shop.

New jewelry shtufffff, and running and babies, oh my!

New items in my Etsy shop ~ have a look!

And on another note...I have to go do my track workout on the treadmill once Mike gets home. 3 by (800 by 600 by 600), 90 sec rest, 5 min. rest between sets. I actually don't mind these because I can get through 800s and 600s no problem. It's like, such a short period of intense work isn't so bad, right? Granted, after the first 800 I do have 8 more 800/600s to go. It's helping with my turnover, though, and I am running faster these days...finally! It's not such a struggle to get my legs chugging, as it was a few weeks ago. Wish me luck, I'll let you all know how it goes.

Aaaaand on yet another note - Logey is getting to be a big boy ;-) Dad's here saying, time to walk buddy! Now that's a scary thought...

Hope y'all had a great wknd! I'll be back to check in later this week...


Lisbet

Mom in Town

My mother got in town yesterday! We're just hanging around, went for a walk today, she went grocery shopping, took naps, now we're making crispy lemon chicken for dinner. Yummyyyy. I'm glad she's here, I literally did nothing today! Well, meaning, I did not do any work around the house or go out for errands or work on jewelry. Just baby duty for me. Logan's life is so complicated - eating, sleeping, dirtying/wetting his diaper. What a rough life.

We were looking through jewelry on Etsy, and she was giving me ideas for business cards and tags. We might have my grandmother (a great artist, mind you) design me a new business card that matches my packaging a little better.

Not much for talking today, so I'll leave you with some colorful inspiration.

Food for thought

I have come to a realization that you don't just have to sell your products to become successful, but that there are other mediums to explore as well. Such as teaching. I personally love teaching. Of all kinds. I have taught many things in my years (and I'm not all that old...). A brief background of me: I have ski raced my whole life...from when I was about 3 yrs old up through college and beyond. I raced for University of Massachusetts-Amherst, made it to Nationals all four years, and made All-Conference teams my last two years. I then went on to coach ski racing at the mtn. where I learned to ski. I also have taught swim lessons to babies all the way up to competitive athletes. I have helped out at triathlons...giving advice...giving support. I have worked at a pre-school "teaching" 4 year olds. It may not be algebra and reading, but they need to be taught basic fundamentals! Teaching, to me, is a joy. It is so much fun to help people learn...especially about something you love!

Teaching jewelry classes would probably be a lot of fun. Kids love to learn, but so do adults. I can see having fun teaching all ages. Art class in middle school was always fun for me, but I fell off the bandwagon in high school and college and focused on sports. Now that I have time to create things on my own, I am remembering how fun it is. This great article on Etsy - If You Know It, Teach It! - is totally helpful and right on the money. Check it out! It is rewarding work to teach!

Overall, I think there is a lot more to just creating your art/craft and selling it. You need to socialize about it, go to classes, research it, teach it, and most of all...enjoy it. When that goes away? Well, you're on a steep slide to destruction. Keep up all the hard work but have fun - and if teaching is what helps you do that, look into it! I know I will.

~~I managed to list a few new things, like I said. Have a look - the new summery sand dollar necklace is now in my Etsy shop.~~

Buy this here in my shop!

Happy Tuesday lovely people!

~~LISBET~~

Check out my new jewelry!

Two posts in a day?! Wow! So after my little rant this AM, I did some errands, totally skipped the gym, and came back here to work on jewelry. The better part of my afternoon was spent designing and putting together a few new things and taking photos. If I have time I will get a few of them listed on Etsy. We'll see how far I get, seeing as it is almost dinner time and I have yet to think of that little issue yet. So here are the newbies - make sure to check them out in my shop!

All of these new pretties available on Etsy!

I ended up watching Oprah and making some cute boxes out of scrapbook paper. Check these cuties out! If you want to learn how to make them just go here - great tutorial on Etsy on how to make them. I will probably use them on my desk for miscellaneous jewelry stuff - I have some rings in them right now. Great for gift-giving, packaging, or just for your own studio. They are super easy to make, and if you have left over paper just whip them into little boxes! So don't scrap that paper! Now, since I got distracted doing THAT - I have run out of time to list these new goodies. I'll try and get a couple up on Etsy tonight, if not, you can find them there by tomorrow morning!Cheers!

~~LISBET~~

A Rainy Afternoon Here!

Well, at least for a little while. It is monsoon season here, so that means our afternoons are usually plagued by thunderstorms that come and go. Today we got a good one! It is POURING! And I love it.

I got up super early this morning, and researched some jewelry sites and magazines to find where I can submit pictures of my work. I then sat down for a good two hours to work on a new necklace and pair of earrings. The lighting wasn't so great, but I attempted to take some photos as well. It really sucks because my house just doesn't have the greatest light pouring in...my windows must not face the right direction. It's frustrating! So, I do the best I can. I never knew I'd become a photographer, too! I'm so multi-talented. Anyway, here are a couple of the pics!
I love Etsy and all, however I am looking for other venues to showcase my work - hence looking to submit it to different magazines. Why not? It's really hard to get publicity because the jewelry niche is such a HUGE one. We all get lost in it! That doesn't mean that someone's work is poor, it's just harder to find them. I think we all work very hard at our craft/art! We must all remember that we love to do it, rather than let it become a burden. I know sometimes I get sucked into "working it" online, when really I should be at my desk working on new designs.

Also, as of late I have been on a major budget when it comes to supplies. I REALLY want some jewelry displays, though. So, I found some fun DIY ways. I'm sure we've all researched this, but my favorites include this cabinet display, and this easy necklace holder. I already made one out of mesh, where I hang my earrings. I am going to frame it with an old wedding frame we have left over because it's pretty!

I just got a call that my dogs escaped the yard during the thunder/rain. They are such babies! And such a nuisance...ugh. Gotta go pick them up at the neighbor's. Have a wonderful wknd! Signing off for now...

Wish List Friday

Happy Friday all! Another week has passed...I am in countdown mode these days, so if you all get annoyed at how I check off the days, well, it will be over soon. Just waitin' on this baby.


If we ever move to another house (which we will), I will be SO excited to decorate it. The house we are in now is very generic. We live in an area where all the houses are similar, so it's hard to make your own seem personal. I've hunted down furniture, art, etc. to fill the inside with character. If I had an unlimited budget to makeover a room or several rooms I would be in heaven. Don't those designers on HGTV have it good? What an awesome job to have. So, I browsed around Etsy for some finds that I would buy if I could, and created a short wish-list. What do ya think?
I love the idea of working with different wood to encompass different colors in a room - it makes it seem extremely organic. Light and airy rooms are a must...I like white bed covers and furniture (however unpractical they may be...) My husband, unfortunately, leans toward dark woods with traditional yet clean lines. I'll have to work on him, as I do go for cleaner lines but don't go for the dark and drab look.

~~Father's Day is Sunday! Mike keeps reminding me that he IS a father-to-be, so we must celebrate. I think I will drag him to Art in the Park first, and then we can do whatever he wants. He made me volunteer at a triathlon on Mother's Day! (when I much rather would have been racing in it - so depressing). Art in the Park features all the artists in the Corrales area, I can't wait to go see their jewelry and other goods!

Alright, time to get going. I slept in way too late today, and was dreaming crazy dreams. They all have baby-related things in them - is that a sign? Haha. Have a great weekend all! I may check back in.

~Lis~

Where have I been?

I've been busy, okay?! And this baby in my belly is pushing down more and more everyday - I have taken up the waddle now, especially if I need to pee.

I sold one of my fave bracelets - for the second time! And I have someone else who wants to buy it as well, so I must get out and stock up on more materials. You can see it in my Etsy shop here.

So...I spent a bunch of time last night and today working on some new designs. The copper and pearl earrings are my favorite (see below).
My second favorite is this necklace...
I am working on streamlining my look...simple, elegant, crisp. Sometimes it's hard when you have all these ideas, and you just can't pinpoint what you're GOING for. So basically I am focusing on my final products, and how they speak to people. I will take any comments or suggestions!

Alrighty, hate to cut this short but I have work to do. Hope you all had a wonderful weekend, I will check back in tomorrow!

~Lisbet~

Good Read

Have any of you read Beautiful Boy, by David Scheff? You should. Look through that link and you'll be able to read more about it. It's about a father's path alongside his son's meth addiction. I find these books mesmerizing. They are mind boggling to read, and I always wonder what on earth I would do if I were ever presented with the same problems. People don't think they will produce a beautiful child that will one day become an addict. It happens, though...and what would you do? Would you feel like a failure? Perhaps. Would you give up on your son or daughter? Some parents might. Anyway, I saw him on Oprah the other day (long after I had read the book) and it struck a cord all over again. Read the book. And if you have, what do you think of it?

Baby is moving around in there as we speak. I have CORNERS. I am not round, I am SQUARE. My belly has started taking on the most bizarre shapes. Is this normal? Or do I just have a monster in there. Yikes.

So, I read the "Quit Your Day Job" article featuring KahiliCreations. I thought it was totally inspiring, moreso than some others I've read. I love that series, because it makes me believe people truly do succeed at this! Haha. Plus, I loved her work. It is gorgeous and simple...definitely wedding-day worthy (and she does say she gets brides' orders). Besides liking practically all of her jewelry...this one drew me in the most...


Off for now! Have a good one all.

Baby Shower...MORE Stuff!

I had my baby shower today! So basically, that means I have more stuff to find room for. Apparently this is going to be a never ending battle. I will always have stuff, I will get even more stuff, and when I think I can't find any more room - I will get even MORE stuff. People will give me their "stuff", I will stuff it in the closet, and hopefully use it at some point in my life. The house is quickly becoming smaller with the accumulation of our, well, stuff. All these THINGS....toys, stuffed animals, baby clothes, baby jumpers, tummy mats, mobiles, tricycles (um, hello, he won't even be able to use this for another 2 yrs?!) Yep. We have it all. And we will only get more. Yikes. I honest to god have NO idea where we will store things...our guestroom looks like a storage room what with the bed, two desks, my jewelry and supplies, file boxes, the BOB stroller, etc etc. I hope no one needs to stay in there any time soon...they'd be better off at a nearby hotel.

The shower was great, though. Of course, it is great seeing all the ladies. What is funny is we literally "oohed" and "aahed" over every cute little onesie I unwrapped. Yep. So stereotypical but so true. Cute little boy things.

I love this gift - figure of mother, father and baby. :-)

In the spirit of all things baby-related, I looked through baby bedding on Etsy and found the CUTEST little blanket. Now, I know it is pink and that I'm not having a girl...but I can still think it's cute! Maybe, possibly, IDEALLY I will have a baby girl next. So anyway, the blanket is adorable, and you can visit the Etsy shop, Truly Bella! The shop is full of cute baby blankies, burp cloths, etc. so have a look!



Alright people, my baby-day is over...and that is something I will not be able to ever say again in the near future! Time to try and get some sleep, we'll see how that pans out. ;-)

Good Blogger I Am!

I was reading "Artful Blogging" yesterday in the book store, and an article titled "Be a Good Blogger" caught my eye. Check out the latest issue of the magazine to see some great photos, blogs and tips. It's at Barnes 'n Noble - one of my favorite places to chill out. Plus the AC is on in there!

The setting process of some of my new soaps are pictured. They will be listed on Etsy as soon as I get the shots I want. My favorite part, currently, about making the soap is creating the colors! So many beautiful colors can be made, and each soap is unique because the colors can't all match perfectly. This is why I love handmade things...each piece is unique.




Flowers - and a lone baby cactus - in our front yard.