it’s been almost 2 years since i’ve had a real vacation, so i was beside myself when a deal came through for tyler and i to go to disney world on our tight budget. not only was it an amazing time, but we got engaged, too!  this was definitely one for the books.  the only thing i regret was not taking more photos in general, but particularly of the (seriously incredible) food at the food and wine festival at epcot. we picked up the cookbook, though, so may have some recipes and photos of our favorites from the event to share later on. and now – onto the camera roll of what we did photograph!

i truly think this is my favorite photo of tyler ever taken.

at the t-rex restaurant!

on the kilimanjaro safari!

fireworks from japan - right after sushi.

view from our boat on bay lake right before tyler proposed! fireworks over the magic kingdom.

and us - very shortly after i said yes :)

i was recently contacted by the wonderful folks over at finetuxedos.com and have been given the opportunity to have my men’s products voted on to be their “next big thing!”  if i get enough votes to win, they will be carrying my work and offering it to thousands of hip handsome dudes all over the world.  if you have a moment, i would very much appreciate your vote!  it’s easy to do, and here’s how:

1. visit http://www.finetuxedos.com/blog/formal-wear/contest-finetuxedos-next-big-product/ and leave a comment with your vote: product #6,  jerseymaids superhero tie clip
2. if you have twitter, please tweet this (and make sure to include the hash tag – it’s important!) “my choice is the tie clip by @jerseymaids, product number 6! #FineTuxedoVote ”

thanks in advance for all of your help – fingers crossed! :)

well i’m 3 weeks in to self employment and (aside from some snafoos with UPS, darnit) life has been pretty sweet.  business has picked up even for it being the dead of summer, my 2 shows this month went very well and i’ve never felt so peaceful or happy! so, a few highlights.

about a week ago my photo “la ville lumiere” was featured on the npr photo blog for bastille day and polaroid week! even though i did not participate in polaroid week this time, it was fun to be included in other ways.

in ballston - please ignore my sad wind-blown sign and hair.

i had two shows in the past week and a half – ballston arts & crafts market in arlington, va and artscape in baltimore. both were a great success, particularly artscape! i had no idea what to expect and it was the biggest show i have ever done. we REALLY lucked out on the weather and the crowd was enormous.  seeing the response to my new set-up and the inventory was true validation that i made the right choice to do this full-time. i hit well over my goal and had the best crew of helpers ever! thanks to everyone who came out to lend a hand, make a purchase or just to say hi. you all rock my world :)

in the midst of the shows, custom orders and day-to-day busy-ness, i’ve been trying to trickle a few new things into the shop. stop by if you get a chance!

and on that note…back to work :)

life is moving fast. so while i don’t have a lot of time to share much, i’ll just share a tidbit of things keeping me going!

*i finally had a moment (and the inspiration) to pick up my 680 the other day and shoot a few. my favorites:

*i can’t stop listening to this.

*groupon for etsy that i check religiously every day?  yes, please. (and hopefully i’ll be on there, too!)

*very excited about my new collaborations with polarity and danielle corsetto (girls with slingshots!)

*i’ve found my new favorite shampoo and conditioner.

*and a wonderful, cheap(ish) way to get macarons! (also my new obsession)

this week, my shop has been booming; my cherry blossom earrings in particular thanks to a feature in the etsy finds email.  since the massive earthquake and tsunami in japan recently, i had been mulling over the idea of doing a donation piece in my shop to help with the efforts for the victims of this disaster.  after the great success following the feature, i knew that was the sign i needed.  from now until the end of april, i will be donating 10% of the proceeds of all items purchased from my shop that feature the cherry blossom image, a symbol for the brevity and fragility of life. if you are interested in making a purchase, please click on the link for all items that qualify.  here are just a few examples of the relevant pieces:

cherry blossom locket - $35

cherry blossom brooch - $20

cherry blossom filigree ring - $35

cherry blossom lamp - $45

cherry blossom ceramic clock - $55

thank you for your help in relief efforts and supporting handmade!

life is exciting! and moving quickly! :)

*the biggest and best news of all: tyler landed a totally awesome, totally stable, totally perfect for him full-time job. we’ve been on air all week but will be having an official celebration tomorrow.  we’ll be dancing out of the darkness in no time and life feels awfully sweet.

*as mentioned in my last post, i’ve been offering lots of customized items for weddings and every day.  this week alone i received 3 custom orders and have a feeling it will only pick up more as wedding season, graduation and mothers day creep up quickly.  i didn’t think i would enjoy these custom orders as much as i do, but it’s been giving me a rush to be part of something so intimate and special directly with my customers!  the beauty of handmade really is people working with people.

*as promised to myself, i’ve carved out a lot more “me” time with side projects and fun new things.  one in particular was this AWESOME polaroid cross-stitch i’ve worked on the past few months and finally finished last night (thanks to the easy-to-follow kit from SlipCoverYourLife).  books are being read, journaling is being done, yoga classes have been taken, meditation is being perfected, fun new things on the horizon…the only thing i need to focus on now is taking more new photos!  even with my new camera, i still haven’t been able to find the time to shoot anything.  but in a few weeks we’ll be heading to the aquarium in baltimore for “happy hour” so maybe i’ll find some inspiration there.  i sure hope so.

xxx

look at me, being neglectful.  life sure does go by fast – blame it on february being a slow month ;)  some tidbits of late…

*one of my polaroids and an essay i wrote about instant film were included in a book published earlier this year!  still developing: a story of instant gratification

*i’m now a proud member of wholesalecrafts.com!  so if any of you out there in blogland have a shop/boutique in need of some unique gifts, give me a holler. i’d love to work with you ;)

*as always, i’m expanding on the lines in my shop.  a new “soft line” is making it’s way in!

cosmetic bags, $38

throw pillow slip covers, $35

hand towels, $21

..and more to come!

*i’ve also started introducing custom personalized jewelry and gifts! i’m hoping this will be a nice touch to the upcoming wedding season and the holidays.

*after a lot of hemming and hawwing, i finally took the plunge and upgraded my old digital slr for a shiny new canon (along with a few lenses, tripod, carrying case and other photographic necessities.)  hopefully this will help me keep my promise to myself to shoot more this year.  i’m already 2 months in and haven’t done a very good job so far, but in my defense – i have spent more time with friends and taking more time for myself…both of which were other goals. so i’m not doing ALL that bad, right??

* * *

that’s about it for now :) hopefully i’ll be back before another 2 months pass again.

we’re a few weeks into the new year and it’s been getting off to a great start!  i’ve made more time for friends, worked hard, spent a little more time on hobbies i’ve been missing, eating better, doing more yoga/meditation, started journaling and focused every day on being a more peaceful person.  and, of course, started introducing new products into the shop.

new heirloom earrings – simplified, sleek, and less expensive!  still being added to the etsy shop, but see them all here.

men’s gifts including tie clips, cufflinks, money clips and belt buckles are available! pocket watches coming soon, too.

a few new night lights are also available.

still need to work on taking more time for myself, stepping away from the work…but it will take time :)  i re-applied to wholesalecrafts.com in hopes that the 2nd time is a charm and was contacted by a shop called the “glitter workshop” in madison, wisconsin that wants to carry my work.  very excited about everything and hope that 2011 pans out to be the best year yet!

needless to say, 2010 was chock-full of ups and downs.  a year of feats and defeats, struggles and triumphs.  despite all of the struggles, we also had a lot to celebrate and a handful of wonderful people come into our lives for the first time.  i did some traveling, some creating, some growing.

it was a big year for me personally and publicly.  my shop went into total overhaul beginning last january and it seems now a brand new entity.  not only did i meet just about all of my resolutions for last year, but entirely surpassed them.  so now it’s time to think about this year – a fresh start on new goals and things i’d like to accomplish.

first and foremost, i’d like to make more time for friends, family and myself.  i’ve neglected people and hobbies i love when things get busy and i can lose track of time.  there are books to read, new things to try and good people to share them with.  i want to spend more time cooking and baking, re-teaching myself how to knit and crochet, reading, gardening, meditating, exercising, laughing and learning how to make soap (seriously!)

on the note of food, i’d also like to find a healthier path this year.  not necessarily a goal to lose a bunch of weight, but to get tyler and myself on a good track of healthy eating, sleeping and exercise habits.  i think we’ll both be better for it. :)

for 2011, i have a lot of goals for my shop and business.  for starters, there are tons of items i hope to introduce over the next few months that expand and refine existing lines plus a slew of all-new products.  hopefully these big dreams come to fruition.  i’d also like to surpass 2,000 sales by the end of the year, have my online sales contribute in a more stable way to my income, participate in more shows and break further into wholesale in a big big way.  a business license and tax id number are also in my near future :P

another big one for me is the need to take more new photos. since june, i’ve had SERIOUS artist block and i hope to break through that this year.  i have some ideas of photo projects i hope to tackle and feel 2011 is my year.  initially i had thought of doing a 52 weekly photo project (since my 365 was a total bust) but don’t want to set myself up for something that i could potentially disappoint myself on.  so, i may start one sometime throughout the year. but for now i just hope to have my beloved cameras in my hands a little more frequently.

i want to travel more – get the hell out of dodge once in a while.  i’m lucky enough to have been out of the country twice in the past 2 years and  i’d like to do that again in 2011.  and if no planes or boats are in the cards this year, at least i have friends to visit that constitutes hopping on a train and going far enough away that it feels like a vacation.

above all, i want to be peaceful and allow growth.  i want to wake up every day and remember what i’m thankful for, to think before i speak and keep in focus what’s important.  this can be a great year or not, and the choice is mine.

so far, this week has been full of ups ups ups!  mom had a very successful surgery yesterday and after a long stretch of months is finally into the next phase we’ve been longing for: recovery.  feeling incredibly grateful for that and the support of the amazing friends, family and medical team in our lives who helped us get here.  earlier this year i had no idea where we would be at christmas time and i find that we are truly blessed.

thursday was the opening of the carroll county arts council’s gallery of gifts show; a cash-and-carry extravaganza to support local artists and the foundation where i was asked to have a booth.  it was a grand ol’ time meeting a lot of other incredible crafters and selling our wares!  it will be up until early january, so if you are in the arena of westminster maryland you should definitely stop by and see it (and perhaps pick up a thing or two) ;)  it was also my first time trying out the new displays i’ve picked up over the past few months!  a huge improvement, i think.  don’t you?

i’ve also been experimenting with new ring designs to replace the vintage settings that i can no longer attain (so sad!)  i included the two options in my survey (which, if you have a moment, please take!) and the filigree ring is winning by a long shot.  i absolutely adore these settings and am glad that everyone else seems to as well!  and they feel great, too.  i have some in antique gold and silver that i’m fiddling with and they’re turning out  beautifully.  feeling excited about the new things i’m going to be offering in my shop next year, but would really love your opinion and ideas as well.

and don’t forget – i’m having a nice, juicy holiday giveaway a few pages back.  hope you can participate, it’s a good one!

sales have been quite slow this month, which is a big surprise compared to last december. so i will actually have a day off to myself tomorrow.  i hope to spend it entirely in my pajamas, baking goodies for loved ones (and myself, of course) and enjoying a cozy night with tyler having our annual “watch-love-actually-by-the-tree-at-christmas” night.  enjoy the rest of your weekend, i know i will! :)