Blog Status Update

I just wanted to drop a quick note for any new blog visitors.....

I'm terrible about blogging!

My blog completely dropped off of my to-do list.

I will blog again, someday.

Just don't know when.

For now, check out my Facebook fan page for the most recent updates:
http://www.facebook.com/jennymjewels

Thanks!
~Jenny

Has It Been That Long?

WOW. Has it really been 10 days since my last post? I have to tell you, time is really flying by lately! I left my job at the end of the year, and if I didn't have a calendar I would have thought it had only been a few weeks since my last day. I'm amazed how my "waiting for the weekend" lifestyle has done a 180. No more "3 more days 'till Friday, 2 more days 'till Friday" - it's all like WHOA - it's Friday already?!?!
My original plan was to head back to work within 2 years so I don't lose my licenses. I've got every license you could imagine needing to be a financial advisor (or their assistant, which is what I did) and MAN OH MAN I don't want to end up having to study for those tests again! (You lose them if you're not sponsored by a licensed firm for over 2 years.)
BUUUUUUUUUUUT...
With time flying by I honestly can't say what my plans are now! Who knows ~ maybe in a few more months I'll be ready to work again, maybe if I'm lucky enough to have a much larger-scale jewelry business I won't need to, maybe we'll be lucky enough to have a 2nd kiddo and I'll need to stay home, or maybe I'll just continue loving my time with my family like I have the last 4 months.
Who knows. All I know is that I'm incredibly lucky, blessed and grateful to have the life I'm living today.

And I'll get back to business soon enough - wowing you with new affordable jewelry and more of my favorite finds on Etsy!

Back to Work...

It's been a while since I updated the blog, but we've had a tough couple of weeks and a little time off really seemed to help. Our sweet pug Phoebe passed away, and it's been tough on the whole family. Matthew is only 3 1/2, so he kind of understands, but not really. She got so sick so fast. It was a cruel disease that took her way before her time.

After spending lots of family time together and enjoying the unusually pleasant weather (aside from the crazy pollen count), it's time for me to get back to work.

I started looking at my workbench again this weekend & have a couple of new necklaces.

This owl necklace has actually been in the works a couple of weeks (I couldn't decide on pearl vs. jewel) and went unfinished while my attention was diverted to family matters. I just love anything to do with owls, and have since I was very young. They hold strong sentimental value for me.

The butterfly necklace came to be slowly over the course of the last week. I just love the delicate filigree & sparkly but subdued vintage jewel.

When I first started making jewelry, I used to tell everyone that it was like therapy - stress relief. That was when my full-time job was really draining me and I just needed an outlet. After eliminating that stress (and moving on to all new ones being a SAHM) I forgot how finding my creative side and creating jewelry calms and centers me.

I hope you enjoy my newest creations & I'm looking forward to diving back in (after I attempt to get the house back in order today) to create lots of fun, simple and affordable summer styles!

~Jenny

What a Week!

I'm sorry I don't have a Fabulous Find for you today. This has been a crazy week!

Our sweet pug Phoebe has been very sick - she's got some kind of autoimmune disorder & her body is attacking her red blood cells/platelets. She's very weak and on lots of meds.

Plus, with the crazy 70 degree days, then 30 degrees with snow, then 70 degrees...

All of our allergies are out of whack here. Our 3 year old has been suffering with so much drainage that it's finally gotten to his tummy and he's sick.

(this is one of my fave pics - taken a couple of months ago)

So in between feeding the dog her 9 pills today and running with a bucket to my son's side, I just don't have time for a Fabulous Find today.

Instead I'm wishing all of you a happy weekend & I'm looking forward to a better week next week!

And the Winner is......

Congratulations to Melissa ~ she won the giveaway!

Now, I'm not sure how all of those blogs manage to get that nice little snapshot picture of the random number generator and the winning post (I'm sure it's more advanced editing software than I have) but here's the copy and paste for you:

Ok, so apparently "paste" doesn't work on blogspot entries, so I had to choose to either wait until I got it all figured out (yeah right) or look like the technically challenged person I really am.

So here's your answer:

I used http://www.random.org/ to pick a number from 1 to 56, and it chose 11!
The 11th comment belonged to Melissa, who chose to follow my blog.

I'll be emailing her and shipping the ring out to her.

Thank you to everyone that participated & watch for a new giveaway next month!

Better Late Than Never... (Fabulous ummm..Friday)

Thanks to a beautiful day yesterday at the Zoo with my 2 favorite people (my son and my hubby, of course) my allergies kicked it up in to high gear and alas........ Fabulous Friday got delayed a bit.

But don't despair - here it is!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/reallybadkitty

This week I wanted to feature one of the amazing artists from the North Dallas Etsy team. She's more than just an active member, she's the president of the team!

Ariela and her mother make these gorgeous button bouquets, and various other pretty things made with buttons!

Check out a few of their creations:

Now, to be honest, I was a traditional bride. I had beautiful flowers, but where are they now?

They were preserved, but they're brown and withered. They're stuck in a box as a keepsake, but it's not like I'm going to set them out in the house.

Ariela's bouquets on the other hand, last so much longer! I've been lucky enough to hold a couple of her bouquets and I can tell you the quality is absolutely amazing. The time, talent and attention to detail that goes in to each and every piece she creates is phenomenal.

I highly recommend her for any non-traditional bride, but don't just take my word for it - check out her shop yourself!

Thank you Ariela for letting me use your pictures and share my thoughts on your FABULOUS Etsy shop!

Beautfiul New Beads!

So yesterday I dragged myself out of the house (my allergies are killing me this week!) and headed to the Rings & Things Bead Tour Show here in Dallas. It was my first time and I LOVED it!
I'm always hesitant to buy more expensive stones when I can't get my hands on them first, so this worked out to be a great deal for me. I could see the quality, shape and size of each bead, which really helps me visualize it in my jewelry. I ended up spending more per bead than I think I ever have, but I got great quality beads at very fair prices.
I'm hoping to sit down this weekend and spend some time creating some new pieces with these beads - I've got so many ideas running around in my head right now I'd love to see them come to life!

Beautiful Gemstones - Aquamarine, Peridot, Amethyst and Rose Quartz (watch for earrings coming soon!


Fun Aqua and Emerald Foil Glass


Really Beautiful Yellow Opal Nuggets


The most expensive of my purchases - Sterling Silver Flowers and Owls


Fun Glitz and Glamour - Midnight Blue Faceted Glass


I've been wanting to buy pearls for so long - these are beautiful Pink and White Freshwater Pearls!


And my favorite beads - I'm just always drawn to Recylced Glass. The texture, the color - they're really mesmerizing!