I brake for anything fun!!

So in addition to jewelry I like to do and create just about anything.  Recently I had surgery and so I have been more still and stagnant than I have ever been, but I have caught up on all the tv shows as well....but I came across "I brake for yard sales"  by Lara Spencer.....this great show about yard sales, flea markets and creating rooms with the items purchased....amazing show if you like to reinvent things, your house, a friends place, or even your work space....so guess what, she also wrote a book about it....so in my medicated state I went on amazon bought her book, and 5 other books....have I lost my mind....possibly to some....but I think I have found my mind...with lots I want to do, now when can I get back on my feet????  Soon!!!

A purpose

I am fortunate to have someone in my life who cares enough to care. Recently he said to me, have you had that mole looked at?  I replied, well I ask but no one has said anything and n response I got, well someone needs to. So I insisted to my doctor that I see a dermatologist, he thought I was over reacting and didn't seem to think much of it.

But the dermatologist was glad I came in. Less than a week later, I received a call, you have basal cell carcinoma, what I said, she said "you have skin cancer".  I wasn't sure what to say and she seemed shocked that I didn't have any questions.

But all I could think was, darn I wish I had worn sun screen.

Growing up sun screen was not something we talked about or used. Sun worship was more like it. Not to mention being an athlete I was in the sun all the time. So here it is 20 years later and I have basal cell carcinoma.

Lucky for me, it is the least evasive of skin cancer. And lucky for me I have someone in my life who knew what he was seeing and cared enough to say something. And lucky for me, they went in took it out and were able to get it all. I now have a one inch scar on my chest, almost smack in the middle, but definitely noticeable. I get asked daily, what happened and I explain, and amazingly, people are shocked.

In my day to day job I have the benefit of working with students and when they ask I get to use it as an example of what not to do and how to better take care of yourself. Sometimes it all works out for a purpose.

June is here!!!

Summer is always an interesting time of year, for me I think of it as summer break, kids out of school, fun on the beach and vacation time!!  But in the jewelry/gift world, it slows down a little.  So what does a girl do during those times, she creates new pieces, looks for ways to advertise and market her  company.

I did my first facebook ad today, so let's see how that goes.  And I hired a PR company recently, so let's see how that goes.  But I am also rearranged the furniture in my home, so let's see how that goes...lol!!

Well here is to June, it is the beginning of summer, the month of my dad's birthday, and of course Father's Day!!!  Here is to a good June!!! 

A Place of Yes by Betheny Frankel

So most recent up on my to do list, read Betheny Frankel's book, A Place of Yes, and Yes I love it!!!  It is a great book, but what I find most pleasing about it is her no crap policy.  She just says it like it is and you have to admit that is a rare thing.  As I get older I find that I wish more people were honest, and said what they needed, wanted, felt as opposed to the lack of communication, or even argument for that matter.  Something is far better than nothing!!

So I say Yes to her book, pick it up, it is a quick read, but with summer right around the corner, we all need some good books, entertaining, and beneficial!!  Perfecto!!!

Display Ideas

Here are a couple of thoughts for displaying jewelry in your boutique, winery, yoga shop, or wherever you are....take a branch like you see to the right and hang it from a bar from up above, hanging necklaces from it....so technically the branch will be upside down. Talk about a way to draw attention to the jewelry you sell, but also start a conversation piece, that people will take with them out the door to tell their friends about!!! Happy displaying!!

March Madness, so they say....

March is my favorite time of year, because the rains come and take any of the remaining dreary winter blues right away, well at least in theory. Unless of course the rain just keeps coming and well by now it should be over. But regardless, each day I wake up hoping for signs of my favorite time of year. And as soon as I see a glimpse, I am running to the nursery to find plants, new plants, different colors, sizes and variety, to plant in my yard, mostly to take over for those that didn't make it through the rotten winter.

Now don't get me wrong, winter has its moments, those cozy nights next to the fire, some nice wine, a good meal, great movie....but really spring just hits it out of the park!!! So with the new comes new designs for me...and as always new hopes for some good books. I am currently looking for good books on Buddhism. Not hard to find, I just haven't made it to the bookstore as of late. However, the last book store I made it to was in Portland, Oregon, it was a private bookstore named, Powell's, the most amazing place I have been, floors and floors of books, new, used, lightly used, and barely browsed. What is a girl to do with just a few short moments to spare there, run up and down on the flights like a crazy woman!! What else!!! Just wish it could have been longer!!

Well this spring, we are going to take it a little easy at RGD, after New York, San Francisco and Portland, Oregon, I am pooped!!! I am going to do some trunk shows, a few wine shows, and just take it easy. Who knows whats on the horizon, but from what I hear, it will have lots of floors of exciting new things!!!!

What I just finished reading....

Have you read "Half the Sky"? Not an easy read, but a must. Violence against women is so unbelieveably prevelant and yet so undiscussed. Doesn't matter what country your in, no one wants to talk about it or hear about it. Breaks my heart. Half the Sky does talk about it, but also offers up options of what each of us can do to get involved...

Take a few minutes and read it, see what you think, and see what you can do.

January 2012

So I recently bought another book, yes another book..."how to see your crafts online", it focuses on Etsy but also other media. I have to say it has some good suggestions, including keeping up with your blog, which I am horrible at. But who has time, I barely have time to wake up in the morning, much less keep up with facebook, twitter, my website, blog, stores, and as if I even have time to make anything....that's out the door. I am going to write my own book, "How to have time to make your crafts"....that would be a best seller!!! That is for sure!! So I think I am about to add an "Etsy" button to my blog, we will see if this increases traffic, or just more busy traffic for me.....

As for 2012, bring it on, it is going to be a great year, and let me tell you day 1 was fabulous, the Bay Area, the sun, good food and lots of fun....2012 is going to be great!!!

Don't forget to check out my "Etsy" button. :)

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!!!