November Here and Gone......

Here it is the beginning or should I say half way through the holiday season, how about a third of the way through, and I am still trying to figure out where the last 11 months went. Where did spring go, then the hot summer, the fall has just pretty much been skipped over and now...winter? What has happened....

Well regardless of the seasons passing, I have still needed to keep up with the world of Rose Gilley Designs. Trying to figure out facebook, yes I am still figuring things out even tonight right before I typed this. Trying to decide how do I get 100 likes before the end of the year....I need help with that....do I still twitter? NO....who has time, the website, the facebook, the replies, the preparing for shows, displays, paying bills, oh and did I mention I handcraft every individual piece....yes!!! All of them, no casting here ladies and gents...although on days like this I think what an easy way to go....but for now...NO!

So next up, NY, yes we are moving forward and going to do the show....I am completely excited and horrified at the same time, we got juried, and now I have to figure out my display, nothing seems catchy enough, dramatic enough without the $ tag!! But I am sure I will figure it out. Then run to Tucson to buy gems for the year, yes I have to admit now that it takes several days to do, it is much more enjoyable...then a show in SF!! Yes, it will be March by then....crazy!!!!!

All in all though, life is great, I am surrounded by people who love me, like who I am and want to be in my presence, we should all be so lucky!! So off to do what I love and to let December know....BRING IT ON :)

Yes we did it......

We are going to do the New York International Gift Fair, call me crazy, uninformed or whatever you may....but I figure why not jump in while the fire is hot!!! So January New York, February San Francisco and somewhere in between Tucson to buy stones for the year!!!! So exciting and stressful, but it will be a great learning experience!!

As a side note, reading "Half the Sky"...there are no words to explain what emotions it evokes, but I can say....pick it up and read it!!!

Rose Gilley Designs for Trumpette

We have been blessed, again, to have a relationship designing baby bracelets for Trumpette. You know that great company that makes the best baby socks, amazing bags and t-shirts!! I am so excited for this opportunity!! So when you get a second, visit their site http://www.trumpette.com/collections/accessories and see what you find!!!

Upcoming Events

To end hot August days, I will be attending Rominger West Winery's summer series, with a booth, wine tasting and yes some music. There will be plenty of vendors and good wine to monopolize anyones time. Rominger West Winery is located in Davis, California and is a small, family owned and operated winery. The people that work there are kind and talented!

12 - 4 August 27th Come out and relax!

Change is good.....

...so lots of changes coming, a new business adventure and a name and company change....more to come soon, I am still working on it all, but I have a good feeling!!!

June Jubilee

Back from the ACRE show in Vegas, lets just say it was a learning experience, one in which I will not be participating in, in the future!! But Vegas, as always, was a blast! The question at this point is what didn't we do? We walked, drank, ate, drank, walked and ate again. Went to all casinos, danced, and just had a good time!! The highlight was the top of the Stratosphere and the great view, cocktail, food and watching people jump off the side of the building, that is on my list of what to do next!!

So this June, i will relax, recoup and spend some time on me....that will be nice and much needed! Have a great June....oh and a good book, is the Kelly Cutrone Book, if you are going to cry go outside, (i think that is the title) it is pretty interesting!!

May Exhaustion!

May is almost over, quick update...Zulily.com one of a kind, exclusive pieces went well...and now to finish pieces to take to the ACRE show in Las Vegas next week!! Out with the old, on to the new....who knew it would all happen so quickly....although lately I have been reading the Traveler Magazine, and thinking of far off tropical places that I so need to visit....asap....but for now, it my mind!! Happy End of May!!!

May Madness

April flew by, one more year under the birthday belt, and yet I feel a little more spring in my step....or maybe that is just spring!

Thanks to Rose and Thorn in Sebastopol for hosting a trunk show for us the other weekend, the property and store there is unbelieveable and a must visit if you are ever on your way to Bodega Bay!!

Next we have ACRE show in Vegas...yes Viva Las Vegas, or is it lost wages? I can never remember, I suppose it depends on who you are!! For me it will be Viva los Work!!!

We hope the show goes well and we meet buyers of great boutiques and galleries interesting in carrying our one of a kind pieces. Also, check out www.zulily.com May 21 - 23 this month, we will be featured under the new designer category and I have handmade 90 pieces only, they have 2.5 million customers, to sell, these are exclusive pieces and can only be obtained from them for 3 days....so visit!!!! Happy May!!

March Madness

February is over, and it went quick!! Who knew with so much to do I could miss talking about so much. KKPW Designs just found out we are juried for the ACRE Las Vegas show this coming June, which is terribly exciting, and that means I have to figure out my display, and how to get it there.

This coming Friday we have a Fashion Show at Uptown Girl in El Dorado Hills, and then April 1st and 2nd a Trunk Show at Serendipity in Sacramento, April 30th a Trunk Show at Rose and Thorn, in Sebastopol, CA, and that same weekend, a Spring event on April 30th at Parkside Pharmacy.

Not to mention I am taking a class at the Academy of Art, San Francisco, this is a crazy Spring, but it could be worse, and it has been...so 2011 will be great!!

No new books, no time, and the only thing I have to share is I just bought the CD by Adele, and it is fabulous!! Highly recommend it!!!

February

It's funny how your years start to cycle as you develop certain parts of your life, whether it is an important time of year because of loss, or gaines, or there is something you do in that same month every year.

February is a hard month for me, it was 2 years ago this month that my dad passed away. It hasn't been an easy 2 years, so much has happened since he passed, so many changes, most of which I have had no control over.

In times like these I find that I need to hold on to something that I know will be there for me. Sounds crazy, but every February I go to Tucson to buy gemstones for my jewelry designs.

I remember the first time I mentioned to my dad that I wanted to go to Tucson to buy gems. Now my dad was always up for anything and everything. He liked to try new things and he was big on encouraging and supporting others. But one of my dads favorite things to do was to find that great "get". So my dad being the great, and I do mean "great", dad that he was, he jumped in his car a few days before I would arrive in Tucson, and he drove from Sacramento to Tucson, just to scope it out for me. I will never forget his phone calls to tell me about what he was seeing, and all the places that I was going to love to visit. It was like he was hosting a TV show about the Tucson Gem Show. I had no idea then that just a few years later he would be gone. My dad died about 3 weeks after I got back from the gem show, just 2 years ago. He and I sat in Cornerstone Cafe and we talked about my trip and I showed him all the great "gets" that I had found. He was a great support to me. My dad didn't go, but he said "next year I am going to go to the show again". He never made it, at least not physically. As I fly through the air to Tucson, I think about my dad being there, and I thank him for being one of the great "gets" in my life.

I am a lucky girl to have a father who was ALWAYS there for me. I love you and you know that I miss you terribly dad!

Life's Uncovered Treasures

So I love vintage stores, and I mean antique type vintage, furniture. Pieces that have been repurposed, redone, and reloved (I think I made that word up)! So there is a store that I drive by often, usually on Mondays, and it is closed. But Friday I happened by and there it was "OPEN" sign!! YEA!! So I went in to "Le Jardin"..."Fabulous finds for your home and garden" on Freeport Blvd in Sacramento, ol California!! Great store, and I was greeted by Linda, the mother of Janice, they share the shop. It is a great, little place, with the perfect amount of vintage antiques to keep you looking, but not get lost. For me that is key...don't get me lost, I get ADD and then I am out of there. Linda and I had a nice conversation about how long they have been in business, and their previous location. She showed me a delightful old piece of jewelry that she had, which would be so lovely as earrings.

It is a great place and should be visited by all....Le Jardin 2598 21st Street, Sacramento, Ol' California!!!

Day 3 & 4 and Beyond

So I started off well keeping everyone up to date of the SF show, then I stopped....but good news to report...it was a great success.

We were picked up by some great stores including Hands Gallery in San Luis Obispo and Fern's Garden in Long Beach. We can now be found in a Seattle Show Room, where wonderful stores can pick up some of my designs as well.

And then we were fortunate to get into Bardessono in Yountville, CA, I spiffy, Eco-Friendly, beautiful boutique hotel, in the middle of Napa. A fun town to visit, a great place to eat, and an exciting place to have wine, which I did!!

Bellafloria.com is a wonderful site we were picked up by, that focuses on organic items, and now has an organic jewelry line :)

It was great!!! So I am making an executive decision to do more shows!!! Isn't that exciting? I think so, and at the same time I get stressed about all the possibilities, but good stress!!

Well off to make some new pieces, visit Serendipity Boutique and follow up with Parkside Pharmacy!! Have a great day!!!

Day 2

Day 1 of the SFIGF brought a slow morning and a rip roaring afternoon...things started slow but we picked up quite a few orders, with some really great stores including Idaho, one right down the street from me in my hometown and a few others...so fun!!

I had a great friend come in and help me out, and only then did good things start to happen. I met a lot of great people, who had the surrounding booths and got some great advice...so I am pumped for the next few days! They will be great!!!

SFIGF

Set up done for SF show, I think it looks good, although it could always look better. Made 8 trips to unload my car and get everything into the booth, thought I was going to blow my back out!!! Once that was done....walked one hundred miles to a boutique in SF that my pieces are in and 100 miles back, exhausted, but never too much to go to Union Square and do just a wee bit of shopping! I didn't buy anything but I love to look!

Got the show guide for SF show, www.sfigf.com, and there are many great companies there....although my booth is surrounded by jewelry designers, not my favorite, but it is what it is...speaking of which just down loaded that song....good song!

I have help tomorrow, which is greatly appreciated, and in order to get over my major back pain, I took a nice soak...the gym at my hotel is great!

So tomorrow wish me luck, send good thoughts, and who knows maybe you will see my designs in a store near you soon!!

Facebook

Ok so Facebook, social networking, whatever you want to call it, but it drives me crazy. I can't figure out how to do it, then when I do, I didn't even know I did...then I can't remember all my passwords...yatayatayata...makes me crazy!!

So this weekend the San Francisco International Gift Show...it is going to be a great success, I am determined. When I return I will decide...Boston Show...or not? That is my current question.

In addition, to my surprise I will in fact be going to the Tucson Gem Show...I have gone every year for about the last 5 years and thought I wasn't going to go, but someone came through for me...very kind!

So far 2011 is already looking way better than 2010....and I know it will stay that way. Oh and I did finish "The Happiness Project" book, it is inspiring, insightful and fun to read....give it a try!!