Amethyst

Amethyst. February's birthstone. And in my experience, one of the most popular colored gemstones around!

Amethyst is purple quartz, ranging in tone from pale lavender to deep, rich, almost-black purple. It is the "stone of meditation", and its energies are said to help amplify intellectual understanding, as well as protect the wearer from intoxication! (Although I certainly can't guarantee you won't get drunk while wearing your favorite amethyst pendant or ring!) It can also be used to attract good luck. I have some fabulous amethyst pendants, earrings, ear sweeps, bracelets, anklets, rings and necklaces. Check out my Etsy shop for ready-to-buy items, or my website for a look at everything I can make. I would be delighted to design something just for you!

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Getting Better

I have to say that my new "resolution" from last month--writing a blog post before I allow myself to play on Facebook--seems to be working at about 70% effectiveness. If you don't count weekends, that is. But my schedule on weekends is different, so I guess I'll have to work on taking that into consideration. On weekdays, I take my son to school at 8:15 and then come straight to work, even though I don't officially open my store until 11:00. That gives me an extra couple of hours to focus on getting some uninterrupted "work" time in before any customers might arrive. On weekends, I tend to treat myself to a little extra sleep, plus those pesky household tasks like doing laundry and cleaning the bathroom, so I don't get in to work until about 10:00 at the earliest. Not enough time to do all the paperwork and computer business that I should do each day before opening. So I guess my options are: 1) Don't sleep in (hmmm...unlikely). 2) Don't do the laundry or any of those other household chores (impractical). 3) Get more organized and efficient so ALL tasks can be accomplished, even on weekends (wow...wouldn't that be great?) 4) Don't blog on weekends (the most likely scenario at this point)!

You can "vote" with your comments and follow along to see how well I do!

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Single Mom

At this time every year, for about a week and a half, I get to play "single mom" while my husband is away on his annual camping trip. It always renews my admiration for those single parents who have to do it full time. I've only got one kid, and for the most part he's a pretty good one, but even so I'm pretty worn out by the time hubby gets back. So...kudos to all you single parents who are doing the best you can every day!

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Beautiful Pearls

I recently got a shipment of beautiful colored freshwater pearls, and I've got all kinds of interesting plans for them. Plus I'm sure additional "inspirations" will strike as I'm actually working with them. But this strand just screamed to be strung right away. Gorgeous deep teal blue, spaced with small sterling silver beads. Yum! (And don't you just love that fantastic piece of natural driftwood they're draped over? It's one of my favorite things to photograph my jewelry on!)

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Ear Cuffs

I don't know what the deal is recently, but 8 out of the last 10 orders I've received on my various online venues have been for ear cuffs. Apparently there's a resurgence of these little cuties, and I know from many years' experience that they're not easy to find. Well, I've got 'em, and I've got lots of 'em! From thin, simple bands to ornate, climb-your-ear beauties with lots of beads, I've got a nice selection ready for immediate purchase in my Etsy shop, and I've got more styles available for order on my website. Check them out now!

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So BAD About This...!

Just about every morning as I'm getting ready for work, I'm thinking about my business, my friends, my family...all kinds of things that I could write a blog post about. Then by the time I actually get to work, it's all flown out of my mind. I am so BAD about getting on here and writing. I always feel like I should include some kind of picture ("they" say that makes a blog more interesting). But if I haven't shot any new photography in awhile, that means I have to take pictures and edit them before I can blog. So I put it off. Then the next morning I think of some cool stuff I could write, beat myself up about not writing yesterday, and forget all about it when I get to work. I think maybe I should make a belated New Year's resolution and train myself to write something on my blog before I can go play on Facebook. You think that would work...?

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Pretty Little Gift Set

Have you started your holiday shopping yet? I'd like to mention that I've got these cute little matching pendant & earring sets in many different stones. Because they're handcrafted and unique, they make a thoughtful gift, and they're inexpensive enough to outfit practically every lady on your list! You can see a nice selection of colors, ready-to-purchase in the Pendants section of my Etsy shop! Fast shipping, too--I promise!

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Statement Pieces

Because I spend most of my "creating" time making what I call regular inventory (the same style of earrings in 10 different colors, or the same ring in mulitple sizes), I don't often have the time to create special one-of-a-kind "statement" pieces. I have lots of little pieces of paper with designs scrawled on them that I've come up with over the years, but I have to carve out special time to work on them. Usually a statement piece will take quite a bit more time to make than regular inventory does, so I can't help thinking about how many rings I could be making in the same amount of time!

But recently I just had to let the true creative beast come out and make something special and spectacular. This is it. A sterling silver neckwire with an asymmetrical curve and two very large white marquis cubic zirconias dropping from each end. Can you imagine the comments and looks of admiration you would get wearing this to a holiday party? One-of-a-kind. Spectacular. Truly a statement! (It's available for sale in my Ruby Lane shop.)

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