November shows, festivities and what just happened?

If it isn't the holidays. How do I know, well the halls of the malls are already decorated, Christmas music is a blaring, and people are already saying Happy Holidays, weeks before they start. Oh and people start showing up during the holidays, friend, family, you have heard nothing from, usually decide its a great time to "pop" in.

Now I am all for keeping relationships, sharing in life's pleasures and disappointments together, regularly, but not just once a year. Not when I could be with people who were there when my cat died (yes 17 years old, my first baby) or when I had my surgery, or for when my little one blessed my world. Those are the people I want around.

So do I sound like Scrooge? Is there no room for these fly by holidayers? Well for now, I say no. Will I change in the future, maybe, I change daily, and today I say no, happy holidays!!

Jewelry on a rainy day

There is nothing like sitting in you studio on a rainy day creating and mixing things up. Spending time playing with metals, textures, dimensions, designs, stones and ideas.  It is such a blessing to do this and then to see the final products. Those of which will be In my spring line. Just 2 months from now!

CONTEST!!! I am doing a contest

Want to win one of these:

 

Then visit my facebook page and follow the directions...

https://www.facebook.com/rosegilleydesigns?ref=hl

Will I ever.....

Be in shape again?  Seriously, will it happen. I think I have mentioned that I am a runner, well prebaby I was, now I am a jogger/tired person. I did the Nike half marathon this last weekend and honestly 5 months post baby I didn't do bad, 9:04 minute mile. But what was I before? 7:56, 7:59, 8:01 and so forth and so forth.

So you probably wonder what am I complaining about. It's not the run, it's the loss of self after a baby. It's all the changes you go through and no one could have prepared you for it. It is the grieving that you must do because you and your life as you know it are so different that 180 doesn't explain it.

But, I wouldn't change a thing. When I look into his little eyes, I know my life without him would have meant nothing in the end. I am so blessed.

Old is new again....

Depending on the person, you can wear my jewelry for years and everything is fine.  However, some people are a little harder on jewelry and as you can see, my pieces are delicate.  Neither person is right or wrong, but those that are a little harder on my pieces have a tendency to break them over time.  Most often I will hear things like, oh it's my favorite necklace, but it's broken can you fix it.  This is often years later, and I always say yes.

Now the fun part of this is getting to see pieces that I made years ago and have long since been forgotten, for a lack of a better word.   They are archived if you will.

Recently I got back a necklace that is just so much fun, and it reminded me of some of the pieces I used to make and how great they were....why don't I still make pieces like that?  Who knows what happened, as all things do, the tide has turns.

But it is a good reminder of something else.  So sometimes old really is new. 

My favorite thing to do in......

My studio....

Well it's funny, I always look at others who tinker and I think, I don't do that. Wow, it must be nice to have tinker time. Well guess what, that's what I do, or at least it's my favorite thing to do in my studio, tinker.

I don't often get time for it, but when I do I like to see what new thing I can come up with, or play with ideas that I have had and just see how they come out. I would say 9 times out of 10 my "tinkering" goes no where, but I think it eventually is what leads to me a product, likely a week later, but I will take it!

Do you tinker?

Late night doings.....

I have a girlfriend who always texts me at 12 or 1 am. In all the years I have known her I can never get a response during the day but trust me come nighttime I would receive dissertations from her. And then of course the next morning when I would rise, I would read her dissertation, respond and then wait till night again.

Then it happened to me. I have found that night time is the right time to actually get anything done. Anything at all. Cleaning. Grocery shopping. Gardening. Reading a magazine. Eating. And yes blogging.

It all came to a head for me and I completely get her now. Children. That's what happened to her and every other friend I have out there. Mom's are amazing, and they do it all 24 hours a day.

I am a runner....

But that also means that I have some pain. Not much. I am lucky that way. I have run many half marathons and I enjoy it and feel accomplished when I am done. However, I also see a chiropractor for maintenance purposes. He keeps me aligned and on top of my game.

Recently he said that I should read the book Chi Running. That I would enjoy learning how to run correctly. I thought, what I dont run correctly? Why would that ever cross someone's mind. Well because turns out I don't run correctly.

So I began to read the book. Wow, move my body in the same direction? That's an idea. Breathe as if I am in yoga, another idea. Lean forward, center my body, tuck my pelvis, all great ideas!

So I did them and lo and behold it works. Now it requires a lot of thought but it works. As I am running I see a man I often see while I am running, and I envy him. He is fluid, almost like he is floating and I realize...ahhh Chi Running!

What's New....here comes Fall

Fall is right around the corner, what does that mean for a small business owner...let me tell you...

1.  Holiday shows - Which ones to do, which ones not to do?

2.  Gift buying - People start thinking about what to buy for family and friends for the holidays

3.  Special requests - Special orders of items and variations of what I design

4.  Media - Media outlets want samples, they want an understanding of what you do, and why you do it that way

5. Shows - Wholesale shows, do I do San Francisco, New York, Seattle, Portland, Philadelphia, or do I not?  Maybe one or two?  Maybe all?

It is a fun, frazzling time.  And all along I need to be creative, think of new designs, new variations and I need to make samples for shows.  I love it, but some days a girl needs a little help...lol...definitely not a bad problem to have.

September Magazine Issue...

It's my favorite, I am not afraid to say it.  I love September magazine time....they are thick and full of great finds, new materials, new designs and beautiful items.

You will find the great features on new designers, the best colors for fall, how to wear the clothing, what to wear it with, who is new in the fashion world, and who is out.

You get inspired to do something different in your own world of fashion, small or big, try a new color, a new design, a new designer, or find that same fashion look for less (that's always a fun challenge). 

Oh how I love the September issues.....now if I can just sit down and read them before October.