I'm obsessed with Etsy!

So, for the past 24 hours I have probably spent 15 browsing on Etsy. Sometimes I just can't help myself. I love that website. I usually don't allow myself to go on it constantly because I will want to buy everything. Of course, today is a rainy day and I'm stuck in my cubicle, so I want to browse.

Like I mentioned before; I am going to be making my sister a black and purple zebra cake for her birthday (help!) Well, since I also like doing somewhat creative things (who I am kidding, I just like making things look pretty!) I found these AMAZING prints on etsy. You have to check out sweetcolours shop. I love all of them. I want to put this on sticker paper and pop them on a picture frame for my sister who is a little too obsessed with zebra print (hey, I love zebra print as much as the next person, but she takes the cake on this one!).


Wouldn't this be perfect!

She has so many cute prints on her shop. I want to buy them all! I have a few shown here. I feel I could make some cute gifts with these.



Within the first 2 weeks of March, I have my 16 year old sisters birthday, my boyfriends birthday, my best friends birthday, my aunts birthday, and then my other best friend is finding out the sex of her baby (baby clothes can count as another gift to get!). I'm going to go broke. I love buying people gifts. I like making them creative and adding my own little touches to them.

I'm pretty sure I'm getting some of these prints, putting them on sticker paper, and making cute frames or a collage of cute stuff. Let's see how that works. Once completed you know I'll be posting pictures (who would have thought!).

Once the middle of March comes, I'm going to be pooped. I should have a full week though until my mother's birthday at the end of the month... hm, what to make her?

Check out sweetcolours shop! You won't be disappointed :)

We'll discuss me for a bit...

So. I decided this post will be a little more about me! It is my favorite topic, so I may as well discuss a bit.

I'm a girly girl. I love clothes, love fashion, love pink. Most people gag when you hear that. I would too. But it's me. and I rock. Not sure if you can tell or not yet, but I tend to take way too many pictures wherever I am. That's probably why with very post I do, I have to put some sort of picture with it. I have a snapfish account which has about 3-4 thousand of my pictures on it. I'm addicted to photos. Below, you'll see me! Yep, that's the woman behind the writing folks. I'm sporting a cute zebra print top from Express and a one of a kind Playboy Bunny Pic Necklace (made by my mother of course!).



I get into a lot of different hobbies. I make jewelry (who would have thought!) and I decorate cakes. I LOVE to decorate cakes. I love coming up with new designs. Next week I plan on making my sister a zebra print 2 tier birthday cake with purple icing. I'll post pics, don't worry. Below you get to see a couple of my older creations.....




I just love making things look pretty. They may not always come out perfect (what ever does?) but i absolutely love it. Most of my friends thought I was crazy to start decorating cakes and making jewelry. It doesn't matter to me if people think I'm nuts (and most do); I just do what makes me happy. Why should I hide my passions to make someone else happy? That isn't what life is about for me.

Well, back to work I guess, ha ha.

I'm short, but not stupid.

So, no new jewelry made in the last couple of days. We had a HUGE snow storm; of course the weathermen didn't predict it. Since last week my job actually closed due to the weather (the 2nd time in 9 years from what people have told me) of course they wouldn't close this past storm. So I had to stay at work during the blizzard. My boss is actually a sweetie though and drove me home (I am a little baby driving in the snow). Living in Connecticut all my life you'd think I'd be used to it by now; NOPE!

Well, during the day, my great boss sent me this link showing me a pair of Alexander Mcqueen's(RIP) shoes. OH. MI. GOD. Do you see these things!
THEY'RE INSANE! This is coming from a woman who is 5"2 and wears very tall heels whenever she goes out. I love heels. They're one of my addictions; I at least have 50 pairs(as stated before, shopaholics anonymous here I come!). But I would NEVER in a million years be able to stand up straight wearing these shoes. I would fall, break my ankle and knowing my luck, have to wear flip flops for the rest of my life.

Granted, what goes down on the runway is completely different from what I put on my body in day to day life; but c'mon. I want to see at least 1 person wear these shoes and not fall down a flight of stairs. If they do, they deserve a freakin trophy!

Addicted to Shopping

Well, I hope everyone had a fantastic Valentine's Day! This weekend was a good weekend for me. I tend to have a shopping problem and President's Day sales were very good to me. I bought this great outfit (at Forever 21 of course), which once the snow finally stops (who knows when) I'll get to actually get some use out of it. Its an adorable black lace skirt with a cute black light knit sweater (can you tell I like black?). All I need is a cute top to go under the sweater (I'm not that type of girl!) and I'm all set!

My mother just made this gorgeous necklace this weekend. I think it would go perfect with my outfit. I may make one similar. It is listed below, along with my new outfit (shoppers anonymous here I come); pearls (of course) with this pretty black rose pendant on it. I just love it.

I tend to make outfits up in my head while shopping- somewhat weird, but when I envision an outfit, I want to get it as close to my thoughts as possible. I love love love this black rose pendant so I'm thinking I may do something along those lines to put together with my outfit. Let's see if I can put it together. Once I do, don't worry; you'll get to see it here.

Maybe I should become a personal shopper. Get my shopping fix without spending my own money. Possibility?

Oh, the little joys of life

So, this picture may look horrible but it's because I just took it on my phone to send here. I am super excited about this necklace. Last night I was able to make something I love- so of course, I'm keeping it :) I was on the phone with my boyfriend for an hour last night stringing these pearls on to make the longest necklace known to man. I find it fabulous.

This is was basically my day during the snow storm. Sat around, made some jewelry, watched some movies; it was amazing. It's always nice to have a day off in the middle of the week for no apparent reason.

The week is almost over and so far it's been a great week. I've had some creativity pass my way which is always nice. My mother also got a bunch of new postcards to promote Jewels For Hope. She gets so excited about these things. I love her for that. She has these huge decals on the sides of her car, she gets new postcards and just jumps up and down about them; its the little things in life that makes us happy.

Sometimes I think my family and myself are just a little odd. I'm not sure how many people do get excited over new postcards? People in this world really should get excited over the little things; life is meant to be happy and everyone has enough hardships going on over their lifetime that a little bit of happiness or excitement over the small stuff will go a long way.

Snow Snow and most likely MORE SNOW!

So a big winter storm is heading our way! Just fantastic. I'm not the biggest fan of snow. It's horrible to drive in, too many accidents, and the cold just does not work for me. I'm hoping the state will get shut down just so I don't have to go out in that mess.

One positive thing about the snow will be I might get a full day to lounge around, relax, and possibly make some jewelry. Lately, as I've said before, I haven't felt creative. Well, last night it hit me and I actually was able to make some pieces! YAY! Of course, the minute I finish making them, my younger sister says how pretty one is and wants to keep it for herself. I just can't say no to her. She's the baby of the family, I'm the oldest; I just like to spoil her. So I'll probably let her keep it. I'm just too nice when it comes to her.

Sometimes I wish my mother and I could just make a living selling our creations. With this economy, who knows if that will ever happen. I currently work as a call center representative. Not something I dreamed about as a little kid. I went to the Fashion Institute of Technology for college... and now, to pay the loans I work in a call center.

I'm hoping one day I can actually put my degree and creativity to some good use. I guess we'll have to wait and see. For now, it's back to the real world with working at a job that isn't fulfilling and dealing with snowy blizzards and horrible drivers.

Forgotten Jewelry

I've been awake for 2 hours so far, and I've already had an interesting morning. I've been google searching and just playing around on the computer to wake myself up.. I just found my old e-photoalbum. Its been about a year or more since I've actually looked through this. I completely forgot about all of the previous jewelry we've made.

It's nice to see how my mother and I have grown as designers. I still can't believe I forgot about this page. I added a couple of pictures here, in case you're curious (you know you are).











Well, I should get my day started seeing as how it's already 11:30 and all I've done today it putz around on the computer.

I love this necklace. It took me forever to make. I'm debating on keeping it myself. I love multi strand necklaces. I wear a lot of black- I love the color, love wearing it. So with a cute dangly necklace it makes the outfit really pop.

I made this gorgeous Chanel knockoff necklace that I definitely kept for myself rather then selling on our site. It's a double strand of pearls, long necklace, with two black circles on the top right hand side of each strand. I love wearing it. I feel I'm walking taller, standing prouder, just feeling on top of the world. It's funny how a piece of jewelry can make you feel that way. Just like heels. It's an amazing feeling; you know what I'm talking about.

Mind Block; Creativity at its worst!

Today feels like an unproductive day. Woke up. Went to work. And that is pretty much it. I haven't felt inspired to make a piece of jewelry in the past week or so, and I just cannot get out of this funk.

Usually by the time I come home from work, I walk into the kitchen to see my mother munching away on twizzlers while making a great piece of jewelry. She constantly will have a bag of twizzlers next to her and she just gets these fantastic ideas running through her head and she has to execute them.
Twizzlers don't do that for me. To me they're just a tasty snack that adds 2 lbs to my hips.

I need to get back into the groove. I have tons of supplies just sitting at my desk at home. Usually by the time I get through the day I'm ready to go, ready to wind down and create; lately, it's been laying down rather then create jewelry.

Maybe this weekend I'll make myself a cute valentines necklace. Give me some motivation to actually create. We'll see what happens.

Opinion on pearls? Personally, I love pearls. My favorite are swarovski pearls. I'm big on colors, but a gorgeous white pearl necklace will always make my heart melt.

My mother makes a lot with pearls. They're kind of "her thing". I love when she makes them, it's a lot easier then me running to the store to get jewelry for the night.

I feel most of her stuff would be great for weddings. Which, is a good thing since my father started an entertainment company (link posted to the right!). We have a display in his office. All the brides that come to meet with him get to see the gorgeous crystals and beatiful pearls. I feel they would be perfect for any bridesmaid gift, or even for the bride to wear herself.

My friend is in the procees of planning her wedding. I'm debating on giving her a necklace as a gift. I think it would actually mean more (of course I will get her another gift also, but this just adds a little something).


So to start with my original question, after babbling on for 5 minutes...

Pearls...are they in or out?

Hello Everyone!

Hi Readers!

This is my first blog so bare with me here!

My mother, aunt, and I started Jewels For Hope! We make handmade jewelry and crocheted items. I love it. It's the best relief of stress.

We started this while my grandmother was sick. My mother started originally since she couldn't really leave the house with my grandmother there. It was a rough year for her. Jewelry kept her through it. Since then it spiraled out to us starting our own company and donating some of the proceeds to the amazing people working at Hospice.

I'll be adding pictures to the site soon; as fast as possible. We have a wide range of items; lots of pearls, chains; and funky hats.

More to come. Thanks for reading!