Maize maze - Indiana Friday Fun

One of the things you can do in the mid-west in autumn is go to a corn maze. Or, as the one we found likes to say, a "corn maize". Isn't that delightfully, repetitively redundant??

So, step one was to get a pair of everything-proof boots. Something to stomp through mud in.

{picked up some boots at TJ Maxx}

It was crazy windy and a bit chilly, with temps in the 50's, so fall coats or scarves were a help.

{My friend Allie and I, already deep into corn and not sure how to get out}

Despite what this post seems to be saying, I'm really a city girl. Not a big city girl, but concrete and buildings are my thing. Martinis, too. Really, the outdoors makes me itch. But anyway...
There's nothing like looking up from the middle of a field of corn... What a view!

After the sun started dropping, we picked up the pace, realizing that we may be lost forever out there. Eventually, we found our way out, and found something to warm up with. I hope your weekend made the best of whatever situation you're in!!

Cause a House needs Style too!

I've been feeling a creative bug lately. Now, I do make jewelry and sell on Etsy... but sometimes I just feel like trying something new and different. I've never been a crafty person, and have very few skills of the crafty variety. But, I've found some cool ideas and think that maybe...just MAYBE... I could pull some of these off. Here's some that I may be trying soon:

{photo from flickr.com/photos/becksjb}

This is made with crayons. CRAYONS. And a hair dryer. I'm on it!!!

{photo from firefliesandjellybeans.blogspot.com}

Fabric flowers. Cute buttons. Maybe some hot glue, 'cause my sewing skills are non-existent.

{photo from http://indigenousdialogues.tumblr.com}

I love wine. Wine deserves it's own special space in a house. We have this antique piece of furniture that I think, maybe, could be turned into something *much smaller* like this. The question is - to paint it, or to leave it as unpainted wood.

Wimping out in the big city

I was in Chicago yesterday for a workshop. It was windy, chilly, and rained on me just a couple of times. I was walking to lunch with a few other workshoppers and enjoying people-watching along the way. People watching is one of my favorite things to do, so big city streets are like candy to me!  I saw all kinds of fashion that I don't get to see everyday - the 3 piece suit, skinny pants and sneakers, 5 inch stilettos with leggings, mini-skirts that made me blush, briefcases, and slicked back Wall Street hair.

I wanted to snap a few pics of some of the styles that were typical of the big city. Here you go:

{shot a little high on this one}

{crossing a bridge and turned to the side a bit}

{people walking quite far away from me}

{quickly dropping phone down to my side}

So what I learned today...

I can't be cool. At all.

I think people know exactly what I'm up to.

I'm scared to piss off a stranger.

The Best Fashion Intentions

Personal style versus professional dress. It's something that I go back and forth on. How much of my personal style to I let into my work wardrobe??? Or do I go with basics and keep it professional?

As a lover of style, I can't help but let my personal style be out there! My brain says A nice skirt and pumps would really look professional, but my hands grab the wide leg trousers and flowy cardigan every time!

I love you, cardigans!

Home Sick

I stayed home sick from work today.


The sad thing is that I'm feeling crappy enough to not really be able to get anything done. 


I wish I could just have a "well" day every once in a while. Then, I would actually enjoy the day off and have have some fun! Well, maybe at least be a little productive. 


Custom orders are still lined up here at the studio. I have time, but not energy.  


And tomorrow I'll probably force myself to go to work, cause 2 days in a row just can't happen!

House Hunting Blues

I'm a public school employee, a couple of days into my spring break. I must say, I've never needed a week off so badly! {Although, I probably say that every year...}

A couple of days ago, my husband and I accepted an offer on our house. We're going through the process now of inspections and waiting for the closing date. It's an exciting but stressful process. So now, we're house hunting, driving around town, going into houses, and finding some interesting things out there! Some houses are ones that we've seen in our neighborhood, and we have so much fun finally getting to see the insides.

Have you ever seen a shower just off the kitchen? 

Or, have you ever seen such an interesting bathroom?

What about this for a view out your backdoor?

We have lots of decisions to make! But for now, back in my own backyard, this little squirrel says "Happy Easter"!

New, Green and still Chilly

I took a walk around my yard this week, and found signs of the season changing. Living in the midwest, it seems like winter will never end sometimes. Just when you're feeling like you'll never know what warmth feels like again, you start to notice things coming up. Just look what I found in my backyard.

They are coming up, even surrounded by the old and dead plants of last year.

They all look like they are trying so hard!

Buds on some bushes, and full-blown flowers in a corner by the front of the house.

A little tree will soon be covered in white flowers.

And then there's the proof that squirrels are out, searching and digging for those pesky little acorns. Where did I put that nut?

See what I came out to find one morning in my backyard??? What a mess!

Living out of a Suitcase

I've had a full week, with absolutely no time to myself! I was out of town all week for a work conference and had a lot of fun in Chicago. Went shopping, saw a show at Second City, lovely dinners out, more shopping...


I noticed some fashion trends while going into all the amazing shops that the big cities have to offer. One thing that struck me was the size of earrings. They are huge right now! I even bought myself two pair of earrings, which always makes me feel a little silly. I should just try to make a pair, right? But, sometimes I just want something NOW. Have you ever done something like that?


Yesterday I went to a Flower and Garden show at Navy Pier. There were some amazing displays with plants, flowers, paths, stones and waterfalls.  If you're in the Chicago area, you should check it out.

Of course, I managed to walk out as the proud owner of a case and a half of wine! There was a company, PRP International, with a booth at the show. I guess it's safe to assume that people walking around at a flower and garden show are going to want a drink, eventually. So, after tasting quite a few varieties of wine, I was hooked. My husband and I picked our favorites and put an order in.

We'll see how that goes. I'm finally back home now, coming back to the real world after living out of a suitcase for the last few days. I'm looking forward to getting back to a normal week!

Pretend that we're Warm

It's Carnaval time in Brazil! It's a lovely time of year for me to pretend I'm somewhere warm and exotic, instead of in the Midwest in February. One of my part-time jobs is teaching a Brazilian samba dance class at Notre Dame. So, I get really excited when Notre Dame hosts a carnaval party by bringing in a band and dancers from Chicago.

The band, Chicago Samba, is wonderful.

In Brazil, carnaval is a really big deal. It's like Mardi Gras times 100. Bands and dancers parade through the streets. No one goes to work for a week. The whole country stops life to party, drink and dance.

I can't lie and say that the carnaval celebration here in the Midwest is quite that big. But, we do what we can when we have to walk through a foot of snow to get there. My friends and I pretend to be warm and go out for a fun time.

{A flower in your hair makes a girl feel warmer. I'm on the right.} {My friends, enjoying the music at carnaval.}

{It's hard to get good pictures when they won't stop moving!}

Such a fun night. I've been hating the snow and cold lately. So, a night where I could pretend I'm on the beach, in Brazil, was just what I needed. Hopefully, it'll be enough warmth and fun to last me for the next couple of months...

Being Pulled to Pieces

Now that the new year is here, my time is being pulling in more directions than ever. While this blog is devoted to my career as a jewelry designer, I have many other roles that I play (and those others actually pay the bills!).  On top of my full time job as a school psychologist, I also teach 4 fitness classes each week. This semester, I'm adding one more job on the pile. I'm teaching a college course as an adjunct professor {an education class for future teachers}.

{At this point, I'd also like to say that I have a very sweet and understanding husband who is about to be neglected for a few months. I couldn't do all this without him - I'd starve to death.}

I'm not putting this list together to brag. Or to make you feel sorry for me. But, I am going to organize my blogging, and hopefully become a bit more predictable. From now on, I will publish one new post each week. I will aim to make that happen each Sunday.

I'm picking quality over quantity, here!

So, you can look forward to brand new content each Sunday.  Thanks to everyone who stops by for understanding how these pesky jobs can get in the way of doing what we truly love! Do you have a hard time finding time for your craft? I bet there's a lot of people out there who knows what I mean. Please leave a comment for me, telling me how your time is split!

A Very Handmade Christmas

Well, Christmas is over and I'm in the process of organizing and storing all of the great new tools that I got from my lovely husband and mother-in-law. {Not to mention all the stuff I bought myself after Christmas!}

More about that later. Needless to say, I'll be learning some new techniques. And that means, there will be plenty of blog entries erring on the side of comedy in the near future!

One of the best things about Christmas is giving away some hand-made gifts and hoping that they go over well with the family. I gave out a few gifts that I made myself this year.

{My sister-in-law custom ordered this black and white charm necklace for her daughter}

{A crystal and ruby quartz necklace for my mother}

{A funky animal print bracelet went to my mother-in-law}

{This wrapped chalcedony pendant on sterling silver went to my grandmother}

{And a custom order bracelet, bought for a coworker, by her boyfriend}

I hope everyone else is having a lovely holiday season. Did you give any hand-made gifts this year? If so, leave me a comment and tell me about it!

Look, I'm Famous!

In Michiana is a local magazine where I live. For those who don't live here, Michiana is Michigan + Indiana. So, there you go!

The January 2010 edition has this lovely article about beading, with a mention of yours truly! The author and I have gotten to know each other recently, and the event that she reports is a true accounting of how we got to know each other. We met at Art Beat, and then went on a road trip together. You can see the actual article online, on page 22 of the magazine. {click on the article below to open a full-size, readable version}

Mini Show and the Importance of being Flexible

I had a conversation this weekend with the wife of a local restaurant owner. Uptown Kitchen is a great little restaurant in Granger, IN, right in the middle of Toscana Plaza. My husband and I enjoy going to breakfast there on weekends - great food and delicious coffee!

Anyway, they have offered a spot in their restaurant Wednesday morning for me to bring in and sell my jewelry. Another local crafter brings in handmade soy candles, and I have the chance to join her. I got excited to do it, until reality hit {oh, wait...I have a job! I can't just wander off with jewelry in hand, midweek...}

But, family to save the day! I coaxed my husband and my mom into taking my jewelry there for me. Phew! I hate missing out on opportunities to gain exposure to new {potential} customers! So, if you're in the South Bend area, stop by Uptown Kitchen, this Wednesday, November 18 between 9 and 11 in the morning. My husband will be happily answering questions {just be kind and don't ask him to identify stones - he makes things up!}

3rd Annual Open House - Fun, Jewelry and Wine!

Having an Open House is so much fun. Friends come over and hang out. Some friends bring others with them, perhaps co-workers; so I get the chance to meet new people. Not to mention that so many people who I know, but don't see on a regular basis, stop by. So it ends up becoming a time to chat with friends, catch up with people, and make new acquaintances. Oh, and sell jewelry, too!

My open house started on a Saturday morning, and plenty of people stopped by. I was surprised to see so many people, considering that we had freakishly nice weather for November (70's in Northern Indiana!?!), and a Notre Dame football game gearing up just a few miles down the road.

Then, it ended with a Wednesday night open house. I have always had my open house on a Wednesday night, and love being able to run home from work and throw open the door just in time! We have snacks, wine, music, and lots of fun. My mom always helps out by running the check out station. This year was an added trick for her, since she had to learn to run credit cards through ProPay. She got the hang of it, though, and everything went smoothly.

My husband is in charge of food preparation and serving, which is always well done (he's my Mr. Martha Stewart!). This year we had wine, tea, crackers and cheese, artichoke dip, caramel corn and cookies. He also helps out by being social and chatting with people, and generally keeping the party going. I always try to move around, answer questions, rearrange displays when empty spots start to happen, and take custom orders. I have a pile of a few custom orders waiting for me right now!

Between my Saturday and Wednesday shows, my plastic earring cards went missing. Now, this would not have been a big deal, except that I had made about 10 new pairs of earrings between the shows and needed a way to get them displayed. I was at my wits end, trying not to get crazy, but feeling a little crazy as I searched my entire house (and when you're checking your sock drawer, you know you're a lost cause).  Then I remembered this great blog I had read a few months back that offered a PDF for necklace and earring stands that you could make with paper. So, I found the entry on Boo's blog, sent my husband to Hobby Lobby for cardstock, and hit print. I ran the PDF home during my lunch break, showed him how they worked, and handed him a pair of scissors. Like a good sport, he put together a dozen of these little earring displays, and I must say, I was thrilled when I got home from work. See how they turned out?

I decided to try her necklace displays next. I bought round busts from a jewelry store that was going out of business a couple of years ago. See?

So, needless to say, I could use a fresh update. If that goes well, I may even see if I can fashion something to display bracelets... Ah, a project for another day!