My Job Rocks

So as a new blogger, I had NO idea how demanding the blog would be.  I can hear the blog tapping its little foot saying HELLO,  I've been sitting here all by myself since Friday and you have done NOTHING!!


The trouble is my first job- opps that's the kids and the honey.  The second job is the jewelry designing and talk about demanding...  I am trying to turn the stack of stones I brought home from Tucson that looked a lot like this...

Into something you might think is pretty like these raw garnet slices.

Or this deceivingly soft agate bracelet

or any of my new blue agate and gold chunk collection

Seriously, how awesome is this job?

Stack Of The Week

The fabulous Caitlin Creer at CCInteriors posted these great photos of M&J Trimmings in New York City.  Yes, could I please have 300 brown satin roses, 250 of the rose colored beaded chrysanthemums, 50 yards of deep grey velvet ribbon and a large diet coke with a lime please.

 

Jewelry Storage-Boxes, hangers and ballerinas

Still Storing your jewelry in this?  Its time to find a real place for all of your pretty jewels.

After scouring some catalogs, I found these jewelry storage ideas from Pottery Barn and the Container Store.

My 13 year old daughter could fill 2 of the storage chests- and by the way they are $349 each, Yikes!

As for the trees my house would look like a forest with all the trees we would need.  Instead look around for some nontraditional solutions.  We found this wrought iron rack and spray painted it a fun pink, and now all my necklaces are out where I can see them- Can you hear them screaming "Pick Me, Pick Me".  

Ikea has the greatest little kitchen racks with hooks sold separately that you can add and add and add.  This is  rack is in my studio but imagine it painted turquoise and hanging in your room.

Caitlin Creer at CCInteriors found these fabulous bowls for me at ZGallerie for $19.95 and $7.95 and they easily fit my stacks of bracelets.  Look around your cupboards for an unused salad bowl or deep serving tray.  Or perhaps just an orphaned little saucer for all of your rings.

The important thing is that your jewelry is out where you can see it, and hear it calling to you "Hey pretty lady, I would look amazing with your creamy sweater".

Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Valentines Day to you all!

As a Valentines present to yourself check out Chrissy Gardner's blog cul*ti*vate for a look at hidden and unhidden hearts in our everyday life.  This is a lady who can find the heart where the rest of us would miss them.

She is an amazing friend and as you will see she brings creativity to family and home.  You will want to follow her just to give your heart a daily lift!

xoxo

All You Need Is Love

Love and a Route 44 Diet Coke

with lime from Sonic- And 

Yes I have the $.99 sticker!

Out of Money= Bye Bye Tucson

I am fairly certain that the Tucson Gem Fair goes on for ever.  It's endless, a bottomless pit of beads metals and rocks.   I mean it may be possible to see everything there is to see but I have never even tackled one fourth of it.  Did I mention its massive?   Running out of money and heavy suitcases--- thats what prompts me to leave every year.

When we began our trips to Tucson seven years ago, you could fill your suitcases to the brim- as long as you could lug them out of the car onto the sidewalk, you were golden.  Times have changed!  I shipped 150 lbs of beads home UPS and we still had to shuffle weight between our 4 bags at the airport.   Bless Southwest for letting you take 2 bags on for free you can actually take 7 more for $50 each (cheaper to ship UPS or FedEx Ground).  So we packed up our jewels, our piles of receipts, business cards and our new design ideas and headed for home.

Stacks of Snowflakes- A Craft

I have a little present for all of you up to your eyeballs in snow, headed out to play in the snow, whooshing down a mountain full of snow or just dreaming of snow. Check out this amazing craft for you from the fantastically inspiring Design*Sponge.  Here is a super simple tutorial, before long little Miss Arizona, (yes you) your going to be right back in the mountains.

Everything You Can Think Of

This is Taunya Olsen of Ellie Collections.  We love to do the Gem Fair together, I think this was our fourth.  It's amazing, we some times buy the same beads but never ever come up with the same finished designs. Taunya is one of the sweetest girls you will ever meet,  but something very sinister happens when she gets a really great deal.

After a particularly long day of shopping, I was done! Finished! Dead! And just at the moment I was ready to throw in the towel, I saw these little babies. I mean who wouldn't want to wear happy little traffic cones?  With that I was buoyed up and ready to roll again.  Didn't I tell you- They have everything here?

They even thought of parking for you man!

I'm telling you if they don't have it at the Gem Fair I swear- you don't need it!!!!!

Stack of the Week

This is my new friend Kinyon (no last name!). He is not unlike many of the folks you will find at the glorious Tucson Gem Fair.  Many who attend this show own bead stores, some are designers but some who visit come because the have a deep and personal love of jewelry.   Here is a man who not only knows how to make the jewelry he wears, but can definitely stack it. Congratulations Kinyon, you are our very first Stack of the Week!

Double click on Kinyon for an up-close look at his stacks.

Tucson Gem Fair 2010

I can't think of a better place to kick off a blog about wearing jewelry, buying jewelry and stacking on style than the Tucson Gem Fair. I am in lovely downtown Tucson for my 7th show. Always at the begining of February, The Tucson Gem Fair is the largest gem and mineral buying show in the world. It is so hard to explain how massive the scale of this show is. Have a look at this photo.

This is one vendor's booth, which is crammed next to another vendor's booth and on and on until you have filled a tent the size of a football field. Next to this tent is another tent equally full of jewelry. Imagine close to 30 of these tents spread out around Tucson. It is one of the most overwhelming things you could ever behold. I cant even get through two of these tents in one day. And I am a crazy fast shopper!!!