New thing!

Hey trusty blog readers!! Sorry about the lack of excitement in these parts. With December comes insanity, pretty much. Our apartment is just a mess of packing materials and empty glasses and dirty socks.

BUT. that's not why I'm here. i'm here because as of yesterday, Stitchtagram is alive!!! It's a thing I've been developing with my brother Doug, who works at Barbarian Group in Boston. He made the amazing website where you can log into Instagram and access your pics and your friends pics, and drag and drop them into a grid design that I then sew into a throw pillow!!! You just need to go and try it. The site is www.stitchtagram.com. Here are some pics!!

Zombie shows

Have you ever seen The Walking Dead on AMC? I hadn't either until ohhh, about two days ago. We watched the first season and all of the second season up until the new episode tonight. It's so gross and stressful and scary and I don't know why I keep watching it but I can't stop. The first season is on Netflix Instant, in case you have that.

Anyhoo. I have a very very large box of envelopes waiting to go to UPS for all of my Fab orders. Scary!! So scary thinking about they all get to where they are going. Crazy pants. I have a few more that I am going to finish tomorrow. And by that, I mean I have to. And I have to catch up on orders. And make some other things. And list some new designs, for crying out loud!

______

The next day....

I realized I never posted this. I wrote it yesterday. Now I'm going to show you pictures of new things. Ok? GOod.

One last ring like this for a while:

Drusieeeeees

Need to take a better pic of this one

And then there this one:

and dont forget about this one!

Ohhhhh i need to sleep

Crazy Train

Crazy town? crazy train? Were both bands? or songs? i dont know. I do know I'm almost going crazy. In a fine way! a great way. still a crazy way though. so much to do! so many boxes everywhere! Boxes filled with boxes! Did I tell you this story yet? I could easily look at my last post but I'm too lazy. I'll just tell it again.

So I ordered my priority boxes from the post office website. They are free, it just makes it easier to have them delivered here than sneak them from the post office. The gruff but kind-eyed post office guy yelled at me once for taking too many. Even though they are free. and I use them.

Anyway. So I ordered them on the website, and about two weeks later, there are four HUGE boxes in the lobby waiting for me. So heavy I can't even lift one. I take the push cart, and lug them upstairs. Oh, and they say BOARD GAME in huge letters on the side. I see on the label it is from the post office, so I think maybe they want to disguise the boxes as board games so they don't get stolen. Then I quickly realize the error in my logic.

Anyway. Horrible, long story short, I accidentally clicked on the board game sized priority boxes. You know, for the grandma's who send out Monopoly for Christmas. And now I have 100 of them. They are so big and heavy. I cried for about an hour. Ben thought I was weird.

In conclusion, I told my post office friends about it (oh, and there's a good chance my post office is going to close. AWESOME). They didn't even know there WERE board game sized boxes. He gave me labels to put on them, to get sent to the post office for them to use. I'm just so lazy to go downstairs, get the cart, put the boxes on them, ask the people in the lobby in the office if I can put them in there so they can tell the mail man to pick them up. oH, WOE IS ME.

So how was that for a sob story? SO LONG AND BORING. I know.  I don't get out much these days. No sir. Lots of pop tarts for me. and latte's. And gossip girl on netflix. My coffee table is completely covered in the orders from my fab.com sale. I'll post a picture tomorrow. I also bought a vanilla/pomegranate perfume that was on super sale at urban outfitters that I loved so much, but after I wore it for a day, I keep smelling that smell you smell like when you go eat in a diner or a greasy restaurant. You know? That food smell? Like, a gross hot food smell. Ben has no idea what I'm talking about. I'm terrified it's the vanilla/pomegranate. It came in such a cute roll on bottle. oh well.

so yeah. i also found time to make these:

ok ok ok ok

Hi peeps.

I know I've been totally absent lately (maybe no one even noticed?). things have been ca-ra-zay and will probably continue to be so until Christmas. I had a sale on FAB.com, and now have  a few hundred things to make and ship rather quickly! I also went home for a craft fair in Northampton, MA, and will be going to one in New York for the Bust Craftacular! (December 10th and 11th! In Soho!)

So as you can imagine, I'm not really sure what to do first or where to start when I wake up in the morning. I have a trash bag full of about 30 packages I have to bring to UPS, I haven't gone grocery shopping in nearly two weeks (neither has Ben.)

I've been surviving on beans and cheese. And not even refried beans. BLACK BEANS. Good lord, what's happening to me. But now I'm up early and am going to go to UPS and perhaps Giant, a supermarket I've never actually been to before, and then come back and work. Maybe stop at Target. Maybe.

Ok. So. That's it. Here's some pics from the craft fair! OH and I went to a gem show and got the most amazing drusies. Some are soooo bright and kooky I don't even know what to do with them!

Nail dream come true

Here's what you do. You get Essie's Licorice nail polish, and Sephora's Only Gold For Me top coat. 

Fiesta!

Last night we had a cocktail party. It was fun, but I had major anxiety because the apartment was so clean and there was nothing on the tables or floor and I was just nervous about it all. Also, we put the exercise bike and ben's regular bike in our bedroom, and that freaked me out too, for whatever reason. I think I'm getting more neurotic every minute.

I decided to wear a romper (that's shorts!) from Anthro that I've never worn in my life, but I was a hit I tells ya, a hit! I also just bought those tights from a record store next to my post office that I walk by every day and never went into!

 Sadie, my party partner in crime. 

Me and the hubbers.

 Bartender Ben

Anyhoooooooo. We are off to a fancy shmancy bar soon for a friend bday, and I've changed probably 12 times already. I DONT KNOW WHAT TO WEAR.

New Packaging

I am such a sucker for cute packaging. I would buy a single bobby pin if it was on an adorable piece of paper.

So I thought- I should make me some pretty packing!

Ta Da!

Messy Apartment, or, That time I wrote a blog post just to tell myself it's ok to have a messy apartment.

I always get a pang of jealousy when I go into someone's apartment that is....how do I say this.....empty? Nothing on the floors, tables nice and clear, bags upon bags not hanging from the backs of chairs. My brother lives somewhat like a minimalist, with carefully chosen furniture and design pieces. I think I live like the opposite of a minimalist, and Ben is just along for the ride (though slightly begrudgingly).

There are lots of reasons for the excess in things. A) I work from home, and while I could have a huge studio with a room for packing and shipping and stations for every single aspect of jewelry making, the whole operation is more or less jammed into the very edge of the living room. Therefore, things tend to spill over into the rest of the room. Like boxes. And pliers. And stones. And beads. (Yes, beads. I know. What's happening to me.)

And B). We got married! And got lots and lots of (wonderful and plentiful) gifts!! So at the moment I'm attempting to rearrange the living room in order to fit all of our new tables and lamps and bowls and vases.

I'm going to show you some pictures. Don't be disturbed- they make the apartment look WAY more hoardier than it is. I hope, at least. Let's go on a tour, shall we?

This lovely little end table will now serve as my tiny packing station. That big ol' box of envelopes used to be in it's place, up until 2 minutes ago. I think the table looks better- no?

But now where do I put this enormous box of envelopes??

All I need to do is clear off this stool, and I wouldn't have to stand over the workbench hunched, working. Why don't I clear it off? i don't know. 

Ahhh. My beautiful new book shelf. I can't wait to decorate the edges of the shelves and paint a chalk board on the side where that bag is hanging! 

This is where sh*t gets a little crazy. ( I still haven't decided if I can swear on here. I probably can.)

Note the little gym in the left corner, consisting of a stationary bike I have yet to use more than twice, and a stability ball that I fantasize about doing sit ups on. I love the new giant clock (CB2, wedding gift). All of the pictures in that vertical row are Etsy related (either bought on Etsy, or bought from craft fairs from vendors who are on Etsy). We got that old school map at a yard sale a while ago. That magazine rack all the way on the right is one of my favorite additions (also wedding gift, also CB2- (thanks Emily and Chris, if you are reading this!)

My parents bought that record player on top of the book shelf, with the speakers, instead of going on a honeymoon. I love that. Ben and my dad made that record stand peaking behind the magazine rack when we were home sometime last year. Daniela and Sam got us that cool blanket on top of the hideously upholstered (but free) recliner! 

This is where things get scary looking. I just need to move those cardboard boxes, and things should look slightly more sane. Hi House!

This bigger shot REALLY makes it look crazy.

I do love these though. The little stack of plates was a wedding gift from a small town in France where a famous writer spends time, who came to our wedding. I LOVE them. The vase was also a gift (thanks Josh!) And that TABLE. Ben's friend Bender made it from wood salvaged from NYC water towers! How cool is that?? He makes furniture in New York.

Another glorious view of my little staged set up. That there is soy milk in my coffee. Something crazy is happening to me I think.

This morning I woke up and decided to stop eating dairy for a week and see what happens to me. What if I transform into a different person?! I think I might.

Okay. If you are still reading this, you truly are a champ. Also funny, this is how I look right now as I write this:

My mom got it for me. I don't think I'll ever wear anything else again. It is the PERFECT stay-at-home jeweler uniform. 

So. That's it. I'm off to chance (because today is the one day I have to go work in public. At Ginger Root! Now with online store!!)

Later gators! Next post might be an adventure in making espresso with a stove top...espresso maker. Scary! 

Some new biddies

Oh, boy. I started Gossip Girl from the beginning (to watch while I work, of course) and it is soooo annoying and bad and good. I can't stop watching it.

I also made these:


Purple Geometry

I do believe I am in love. 

And these: Desert Drusy Studs

Hello!

Hi kiddos! Guess what! I got a big new shelf to put up by my work bench! Now all I want to do is decorate it. Paint a chalk board on the side, stick rhinestones along the edge of the shelves. I took this picture of all of my drusie's with the earring cards I'm slowly putting together:

And then I made this! 

Meanwhile, I'm catching up on orders, working on some soon to be sort of major orders, and already stressing out about craft fairs and the holidays! What are you up to?

Some wedding pics!

Wedding pictures are slowly trickling in...here are some of my faves!

Hey hey hey!

Hi!

Last night I walked in Ginger Root's runway show for Ready Set DC's Fashion: District. It was pretty wild. I wore my own Lady Bloomers that I had bought from them a while ago, and an amazing yellow and blue shirt, which I ended up buying. I wore it home from the fashion show, and am actually wearing it right now! I can't wait to see the real pictures, but here's one we took on my friend Sadie's phone, who I wrangled into walking too. 

I ALSO bought a new nail polish product which I am very excited about. Haha. So excited though, really. It's Esse and it's a matte top coat, so it makes whatever polish you use have a matte, non shiny finish. Which I'm kind of obsessed with right now, for some reason. 

Also I made some things yada yada yada, but I'll post those later! Tuna calls! (Ben just seared some tuna.)

Tripod!

guess what? i got a tripod for my camera!! SO MUCH EASIER TO TAKE PICTURES OF EVERYTHING. but mostly of me. Here are some of my faves, most of which were mess ups. 

I love this picture SOOOooo much. i dont know why. i just love ben in the background. 

It's been a while since I took a pic of the honey knuckles. Maybe it's time for a new one in the shop?

This necklace photographs so nicely. also I got that t shirt for 2.50 in urban outfitters.

 I love my hair in this picture. Jeez I'm concieted. 

And finally, I made a new Ultra Bow Ring!!! In the store now. 

New Earrings

I've been hankering for a new style of earrings as of late, and came up with these little ladies.

Sleep High Five

The other night, Ben and I were sleeping, both facing away from each other. At the very same second, we each started to roll over, extending our outer arms to spoon each other, and in the process high fived.

That's right. We sleep high fived. We both woke up and laughed for half a second, and then went back to sleep.

Sleep high five. Think about it. 

Stars

I just finished this custom made constellation ring for a lovely gal in The Netherlands. 

GLORIOUS

Purple:::Pink:::Green