Year in Review

Hard to believe that this is the last day of 2011. It has been a crazy year for me, full of big events and lots of action. Here are some of my highlights:

Bought my first condo

Traveled to NYC with 15 friends for a big birthday celebration

Became a Godmother for the first time

Lots of travel..New York, Amelia Island, Newport, Nantucket, Boston, North Carolina, Baltimore, Atlanta and Palm Beach

Grew my business

Cut 8 very luxurious inches off my hair

Bought a MacBook Pro with cash

Became full-time at my job

Sailed to Haiti, Jamaica and Mexico on the biggest ship in the world

Used 200 white jewelry boxes for sales Nov-Dec

Spent time with friends and family

and blogged all about it!!!

Here's to a wonderful New Year!!

xoxo

Art Basel..Several Weeks Later

Earlier this month, I had the fortunate pleasure to attend the Vernissage party for the opening of Art Basel. It is the most fun people watching I have ever seen. The crowds were huge this year and for the first time, we had to wait in an enormous line to enter the convention center. My press pass didn't make me any type of VIP unfortunately!

There was so much art, tons of spaces all decked out to look like real miniature galleries. Some are very sparse and some are packed with all different kinds of mediums. You have to walk around for about 3 hours to really see everything...and this was only the first night!

When walking around, it is sometimes hard to figure out what is the art and what is part of the convention center...this wall had me stumped. Is it a cement wall with plants or is it an exhibition called "Cement and South Beach Corn Stalks"

This VW bus had a huge audience staring at it...very interesting...

After a couple of hours walking around, the people watching took over and I became fascinated by the pants. So many men had on fabulous pants..here are a few:

my favorite the pink pants with the green loafers..

And the most popular piece of art???? This very real looking replica of Prince William. Everyone was standing in line to pose with him..so funny.

Amy looks pretty good with the Prince!

There really is nothing like Art Basel..well worth the trip to Miami Beach. Each year it gets better and better!

The Aftermath...

Are you racing out the door for after Christmas sales? I am finally catching my breath from my craziest holiday season to date. I had been sitting on my couch for days making jewelry, selling it and then replenishing for the next day. So fun, so exciting but so exhausting. I am taking a small break to re-group and get organized, and just for fun, decided to have a small cocktail party tomorrow night in my apartment. I must be crazy.

Yesterday and today, I finally finished decorating my tree..I am not kidding..and I had my Mom to help me. Here is what it looks like...

In the midst of all the hub bub, I found it necessary to scour eBay for more needlepoint ornaments even though I own over 30 brand new canvases ready to stitch. I think I have a problem...but aren't they cute? They are so inexpensive. This prompted me to put several of my canvases on eBay to sell. 2012 is going to be my year to sell things on eBay.


Will be back to blogging full steam ahead this week, trying to catch up and redeem some of my followers! xo

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas to all my blogging friends.

I can't believe it is finally here!

Images via Etsy

Christmas Card 2011

This year, I wanted to do something a little different with my holiday card. Having seen Paige Smith's amazing work on The Company She Keeps blog, I contacted her and asked her to draw me up. After a few emails with details, this was the end result. It is so cute and she even incorporated my packaging on the tree. Millie even made it on there. After I got the illustration, I contacted my design BFF Tracy from Paper and Ink Design to help me whip it up into a card.

This is the inside...


and Tracy fancied up the back...



I am loving my card this year!
♥

Holiday Craziness

What a whirlwind this week has been!!! I have been completely overwhelmed with keeping up with jewelry sales and production as well as my real job on overdrive for year-end craziness. This weekend, I am going to catch up..I hope but these are some things that I am loving...

This new stone popped up recently..a dark silver colored, mirrored bead. I made this necklace and matching double strand bracelet. It is one of my favorite new treats.

I have been busy replenishing my jewels..these have been popular

The most popular...this amazing gold leaf long necklace. $50

And I love when customer's orders come in..I get to see all the cute combinations created from Dabney Lee's style swatches and monograms.


loving this crab...

and new Dabney Lee notes for me!

My Christmas tree is still completely bare. I can't even get the lights on-they are tangled and then I bought new ones and they weren't the right kind. I am needing some elves right about now. And..I had the great idea of having a holiday cocktail party at my apartment the week between Christmas and New Year's. Not sure how I am going to pull that one off. I have piles of magazines surrounding me, beads and crystals everywhere and the feeling that I have forgotten something really important but can't figure out what! I did get my holiday cards out..that was an accomplishment-and I am LOVING my card this year..will post a copy this week.

More soon....

Am I fired?

Wow...a week can fly by super fast!!! I have had so many shows and made so many necklaces and only have a few appointments left..and my blog has been neglected. Promise to catch up this week. My biggest news is that I am typing this on my new MacBook Pro. It is so fun but I definitely need a tutor because I can't figure some things out. Walking out of the Apple store yesterday was so fun having just paid cash for my new computer with all my hard earned profits from this holiday season. I can finally bury my Dell laptop.

The other big item on my wish list-the gold huggie earrings that I have been coveting are on the way to being under my tree. One of my sweetest friends made them my Christmas present and I couldn't be happier. Of course my list has grown as the days have gone by. I swung into J. Crew and my goodness, there is so much cute stuff in there.

Hope everyone is having a good weekend. I will be catching up soon! xo

Tick Tock...

Oh my...I am racing against the clock, trying to catch all my clients before the holiday deadlines pass!! Today was the cut off for Clairebella, tomorrow for Preppy Cards and that leaves me with a few days left of Paper and Ink Designs, Queen Bea and Alphabet Plates!

I have two big shows this week and all the year-end work for my real job. Yikes! Of course there is also Christmas shopping for myself. It always happens to me when I have a little extra cash from my holiday sales to shop for myself..that's right I am selfish. I don't think it is too out of the box..you are in the malls and online, of course you are going to see good stuff for yourself while you are shopping for others.

One of my friend Cece's aadorable pink trees

My Christmas list seems to dwindle each year, making it easier to get through it. Coming up with creative and recipient appropriate gifts is a little bit of a challenge. I know what I am getting for most of my list, so I hopefully won't be hitting the malls December 24th!

When my Mom and I were shopping in Jacksonville, I found this adorable display of striped long-sleeve t-shirts at Banana Republic. I fell in love with the navy/grey one and bought it this weekend. This is it and it comes in so many cute colors!

Me and my cutie pie Goddaughter Elizabeth..in my new shirt!