Shorts

These, I can get behind. Oh yes.  Uh oh. Don't let me buy them. please do something!

I've got it...

..the shopping bug, that is.

I have been trying, and succeeding, to not buy anything that is not a total necessity. The resulting feeling is an intense urge to shop. Like, I feel it in my stomach. "am i hungry? no, i just really really really want a new pair of shoes."

SO, I guess I'll just post some things here that I want, and then when I become that famous million jeweler/sing/songwriter/tv watcher, I'll purchase them.

I wouldn't mind this.

It is only $336.00. and on sale! what a bargain. 

Ok. too many dreams for one little girls. i'll do more tomorrow.

Custom Ring

This ring was a real killer to make. I didn't think I was going live to see the end of it.

But I finished! It's for an engagement ring- I hope the buyer likes it! 

It has a citrine and an alexandrite set in two of the beads.

Whew. And I made two more custom nest wedding bands today! Busy busy.

Songs.

Oh man oh man.

So, for those who listened to the song below, I recorded an even BETTER version complete with egg shaker and ukelele!! I'm in the process of making some kind of video to go with it, so the original version will have to satisfy you for now.

Today went by in a blink! I made 3 heart rings for orders, and 2 new drusy rings. And struggled with iMovie to make some kind of respectable video.

I am crazy about this stone- it's naturally green, and pretty rare, and is a form of garnet called Uvarovite! Pretttttttty. 

And these just always make me happy. 

Lordie lordie lordie

So. yesterday I wrote and recorded a song, and after many hours of confusion and fruit leathers, I think I figured out how to post it...i had to make it into a video, and while i could have done something cute with like, puppets and fruit bowls, i just filmed myself sort of keeping rhythm and playing with my hair...so don't pay attention to the video, just the song! and don't really pay attention to the song either? anyway. here goes nothin...

In other news, I am still waiting on solder, which is a good excuse to do non jewelry things. My work area has never looked so clean. I did laundry, I spent hours designing a sticker to get ordered to put on boxes, then decided just to get a customized rubber stamp from Etsy (can't wait to use it!). I ordered some stones I needed, and some other supplies. So in other words, I spent lots of money without making anything. But you gotta spend moolah to make moolah, am I right??

A word about hardboiled eggs.

Tomorrow, I am getting a ride from my friend Noah to Trader Joe's, so today I didn't go grocery shopping. Even though there is absolutely nothing to eat in the apt. other than eggs and salt. And oatmeal. And a very brown banana.

So, I decided to make a hardboiled egg.

What an emotional rollercoaster!

I never know if I am going to take it out of the hot water too soon, and have it been to soft boiled, which I am not a huge fan of. But I went for it, boiled the water, turned off the flame, let the eggs sit in the hot water for 10 minutes.

It was perfection.

And then I ate it, with a dash of salt, and it was gone. Done. In my tummy.

And I want a million more.

Video

I need a more exciting life.

Also, be prepared for a startling scream out of cuteness somewhere in the middle.

Stones

I've got my work cut out for me.

Some pictures.

Well, gang, today I had a breakthrough.

I think I became friends with the grumpy post office man.

First let me start off by saying that I explained this entire story, gesticulations and all, in a video, which ended up not recording. It was terrible. Just terrible.

The long and the short of it is that I went to the post office today, and in front of me was this dopey guy with his pants almost at his knees, and he did not have his shit together, and left his money in the car, didn't understand what was happening, yada yada. I'm sure he was very nice, and I didn't really think he was that much of a dummy, but when I was up next and the formerly grumpy guy was saying how that guy needed "a belt and something in his head" and kept asking if I agreed, obviously I would nod! It was grand. We had about a 1 minute back and forth about how he needed to hike up his pants. And THEN he said how helpful it was that I was so organized!

SUCCESS.

Let me tell you, he was a hard nut to crack.

Anyway, here are some pictures. So you don't get bored.

Hey, brother! Thats my big brother. He was kind enough to come in from Boston to help me out. The craft fair was pretty slow, but we had fun. I think. 

Also I think it's time I invest in an actual display, instead of cutting up pieces of paper and spray painting foam core the night before. People expected the jewelry to be made out of toothpicks or something, not silver and gold!! 

Some words of wisdom for your craft fairs:

Make sure you speak loudly! The worst thing is saying HELLO to a customer and not having them hear you. Plus, don't mumble. I'm afraid I've become a mumbler. And a low talker. Bad combination.

Have a display that reflects your work!! I looked like a tag sale compared to the other jewelers, who had these amazing displays with little LED lights inside the box displays and everything matched. Sigh. So long, watermelon themed crushed velvet table cloth. So long duct taped easel. 

I was next to my all time favorite vendor though, Fuzz.E.Food. How amazing are these felted creations??

Alright, that's all for now. 

yes, it's me

I'm back, baby. I feel like every other minute I'm coming or going on a train to Twist Fair in Northampton, even though it's really only happens twice a year. And this train ride coming back to DC (which is about 6 hours) was full of tears. Don't ask me why, but I always get emotional on the train. I don't mind the length- there isn't wireless, so I sort of revel in the relaxing. I have to either sleep, read, or watch a movie on the computer. This trip back I didn't watch anything, but just read Ice Queen by Alice Hoffman, which got me good and weepy. Every other second I had to turn my face to the window and silently sob. The guy next to me must have thought I was a lunatic. And whenever any kind of song came on the radio that mentioned anything at all, really, I'd get misty eyed.

ANWAY. What's new with you? Any good weeping lately?

I have a ton of orders to do and am waiting on a ton of supplies sooooo it's going to be an anxiety filled couple of days. And I just have a couple tiny squares of solder. Yikes. We'll see how that goes.

At Twist, I became the happy owner of a Fling robe. I'm wearing it right now. Those ladies look like they are having fun.

So. that's that. 

All I ate today was a weird peach green iced tea, almost an entire full sized bag of sweet potato  and beet chips, a container of gummies, and half a tuna sandwich.

And now I have a stomach ache but also kind of want a little scrambled egg. What to do, oh what to do? 

Boozin is up, fancy style

  

Tonight I met Ben at the Capital for a Craft Distiller Convention. (I don't have the exact name right now and am waaaaaay too lazy to get it).

As such, I'm writing this post from an ever so slightly tipsy state. We went early as the "media" and it was such fun! Imagine a college career fair, only instead of it being in a big gym, with boring companies giving out highlighters and hard candies, it was in a Caucus room, and had dozens of really cool craft distillers! Whiskey, gin, rum, everything. It was very neat, and there were some pretty spiffy label designs. (fun fact- did you know that Vermont has a good amount of craft distillers? Not just beer! Who knew! I tried a vodka made from honey that was DELISH). 

Anyway, I wore a bright orange Anthropologie dress (see above) not really knowing what kind of event it was going to be.

As you can see, the majority of people were in navy. The occasional gray, sometimes a light blue. You can imagine I stood out like a ripe mango. One of the whiskey distiller guys said I was a nice pop of color!

 

This guy was super nice, from Vermont. We were just walking around leisurley sipping whiskey, which I can't really drink without making a squinched up face, even if I try not to. I hid it as best I could. 

 

This guy was cool too, and I really llike the bottles. 

 

This was a delicious honey flavored liqueur  made by the Jagermeister people, called Barenjager. Did you know jagermeister means Master Hunter, and Barenjager means Bear Hunter!

 

 

They mixed it with orange juice and rum, I think, and it was absolutely scrumptious. 

 

 I didn't get to try this one, but I loved the bottles.

They even had Martha Washington's Rum Punch!

 

This was our last drink before we decided it was time to leave.

The end.

New Friend, New Blog to Read

I recently met and befriend a delightful lass by the name of Molly Rosner, and she has an equally delightful blog called Brooklyn in Love and at War, that is actually smart and interesting and not just pictures of pretty flowers (not that there's anything wrong with that!)

On this blog she scans in letters from her late grandfather that he wrote to her late grandmother during WW2, and writes about their content and context.

Here is the first letter she posted, and if you go to the blog you can read what it means.

 

Here's an excerpt from the latest letter she transcribed:

Sweetest husband, the day of your homecoming will be the most excited one in my life. I want to look beautiful for you – so please let me know beforehand (if you can) so that at least my face will be washed. You’ll probably be all spiffed up when you come home, tall and straight in your uniform! I want you to be as proud of me as I am of you.

Sweetheart, if we could only be together for always after this… I’d even get up to make your breakfast. (Don’t say anything you’ll be sorry for, Sylvia.) I love you with all my heart, Alex, and wish to heaven that you’ll be allowed to work ashore. Dearest, I love you, you don’t know how much.

Goodnight, honey-

            Forever yours,

                        Sylvia

P.S. It took only 5 days for your letter to arrive. Love – S.

 So yes. Start reading, already.

Introducing: The Blob Ring Collection

That's right, Blob Rings. Because let's face it, they look like little blobs. Little, beautiful, sparkling blobs.

I can't stop making them.

Starbucks Sippin'

 

Here I am, with my newly darkened hair, looking all pensive like in Sarbucks.

Listen, it's hard to take an attractive picture of yourself in photobooth when you are self conscious of people thinking you are weird for smiling a million times into your computer screen.

Anyway, I WOULD be at the cool hip indie coffee shop down the block but it was too crowded and when I walked by to go to the post office i got sweaty and nervous thinking about trying to find a seat next to a stranger on a couch that sags into the middle.

So I'm in Starbucks, its cool and air conditioned and Frank Sinatra is playing and my iced coffee is delicious and it's almost like I'm outside because I'm facing a window, only dirt and leaves aren't blowing in my eyes and I'm not sneezing my head off.

Well, I'm still sneezing a little.

The point is, I'm here, and I'm ok with it. 

Alright?! Lay off!

Look at banner, Buster

Alright gang, after hours of staring into a computer screen, I made this. And I'm pretty damned please about it. 

It's my new website banner. Do we love it or do we love it? I hope we love it.

Also- a word about the slogan. Hopefully you like it, but I KNOW you will love it when you hear the funny joke about it. Rachel Pfeffer is also the name of the producer of Crazy/Beautiful. And I'd say my jewelry is quirky/beautiful, so it all comes together rather nicely.

Anyhoo, I spent all day making my latest Blob Rings (you'll understand when you see them).

New video! at long last.

Logo

I realized today that I am missing a logo.

Well, I realized this a long time ago. And many times since. But I started to make a pair of earrings today, and I ended up making one of the earrings into a ring (the earrings can wait), and then I realized that the design made a perfect logo! I think at least. Thoughts? 

 

 

 

That's it. Other than this discovery, today felt like a bit of a rut. Tomorrow I want to make teeny little fork and spoon earrings. Stay tuned.

Paper Source Terrors

Today I went to the Paper Source. Whenever I go there, I always end up wandering around anxiously, not knowing what I need or want. Should I get a sheet of little stick on pearls to write my name on a display? Do I need an expensive paper punch to decorate earring cards? Usually leave, clear my head, and go back in with a better game plan. Today I ended up getting a pack of different colored blank business cards, a spool of paper ribbon, and a pack of stick on strips of felt bric-a-brac. And ta-dah!

 

I also made this little gold ring with a sapphire, which goes terrifically with the ruby one! I learned how to do this at the clas I took in the 92nd st Y! 

 

One of my fears...

...is that I'll be in public listening to music with headphones, and I'll sneeze, and won't hear someone tell me "bless you" and not say thank you and look like a jerk.

In other new, I went shopping today! At long last. I went to Georgetown. And to be honest, not so sure I love shopping by myself. I was in the market for a new pair of comfy little shoes to walk around in, and when I went into Steve Madden, they gave me a scratch off ticket, and it was for 40% off! So obviously I had to get shoes there. But I hate not being able to ask for someone's opinions!! I've asked strangers before, but nobody is ever excited to help a crazy lady buy a pair of shoes.

Anyway,  I ended up getting these little puppies, which came to $36 or something.

 

Just a blur.

 

I also got this headband which I don't think I'll ever take off again. It's basically a wide silk scarf that gets skinny at the ends, and I wrapped it around my head and tied the ends at the top in a bow! It makes me feel like Lucy from I Love Lucy.  (I got it at H&M for a cool $5.00)

 

Stackable Rings (and haikus)

Stackables!

I also decided to write haikus for the descriptions!

 

Bright Blue Green Turquoise 

Is It Gold Or Silver? 

I Will Have to Explain Now.

(see the rest here)

 

 Green Chrysoprase Stone

Sterling Silver Beaded Band

Oxidized to Black. 

(see it here)

 

A Blood Red Garnet

Sits On Top Bright Beaded Band

Your Finger Wants It.

(see it here)

 

Bright Periwinkle

Shocks Against Oxidized Black

Will Make Your Hand Sing.

(see it here)