Here we go again....

Well it has been quite some time that I have blogged. Mostly because when I did blog I could get on blogspot at work, now I can but we have to use what is known of as “quota time” basically I get 60 min a day to look at almost anything I want to, Facebook, etsy, shopping, blogging etc…lame.

Maybe I should continue to blog but just on work then cut and paste later. Then again Ms. ADD here will prob get bored with that and stop again! Haha.

So what have I been up to lately….a lot!

I have been taking a ton of pictures, making more jewelry and selling more places! Yeah! Go me!

Tomorrow I start on a new adventure…ZUMBA! I have heard great things about it and really need to get my fat ass back in shape. It sounds pretty fun so I figure I will give it a shot. I am prepared to be totally sore. I just hope I do not hate it. I used to belong to the gym and it wasn’t bad when I had time to go but now I am a lot busier and I don’t WANT to take the time to go. I do not like TV and I could read but the gym stinks. Literally. I am bored there too. My hubby doesn’t hate it but I do. So wish me luck in Zumba class and pray I like it.

Current Reads: Well I am listening to The Historian. I could never get into it when I tried to read it but I am listening to it on my commute and LOVE IT! Just went to library today and got a biography on Vincent Price. Looking forward to that read.

Currents Sounds: My husband snoring every night. Haha! No really I love the new Eclipse CD.

Current Shows: Anything MST3K. Can’t wait til Sept. 9^th when Vampire Diaries comes back!

Ok til next time I decide to write!

Happy reading bloggies!

Here I am

Another day..another blog

Ok I know I haven’t been blogging in awhile but I have good reason. Usually I blog at work, well my work does this thing where we have 60 minutes of quota time a day. I have to use them in ten minute spans so if I use it then get interrupted those 10 min get flushed down the toilet. That is just the beginning of my distaste for my job. Yeah I should be thankful I have a job and I am but that does not mean I am happy with my job. Working in the field I do you come across a lot of people who you do not feel sorry for. Then you start not caring at all. This is the point I am at today.

I need to do more with my life. Yeah, yeah I know I am whining but seriously. Maybe if I blog about it I will actually do it. Good motivation, we will see if it works. So what do I want to be when I grow up…an artist. I love to paint, take pictures and make jewelry. Oh I wish I could make a living doing these things. I have been dabbling in photography now for a few months and must say I really am having a blast. Take a look at my pictures on Flickr (ambersaccents). I have been slacking on the jewelry not because I don’t like it but because I do not have time. Story of my life…wake up drive 45 min to work..work 8-5 drive home 45 min. Come home make dinner, shower and spend time with hubby. By the end of that I am so flippin tired I don’t want to do anything, then I cant sleep b/c I wasn’t physically active again, then repeat the next day. Weekends are the only time I get to do what I want, usually, but as I am sure with all of you my plans are constantly changing and I am trying to recover and rest from the week before. By Sunday I am freaking about where my weekend went. I shouldn’t complain, but I need to vent. Society has so many pressures on us now that we are forced to live this face paced lifestyle all of the time. I want to slow down and enjoy life. Right now I can’t enjoy myself because I am so worried about what I have to do next. It does not help that I just can’t stop finding crafty things to do.

Ok I will stop my bitching now.

Slacking again...

I really need to get busy and blog more.

How does one do it? I have a full time job, jewelry designing on the side, home to take care of, supporting/helping my husband with his local music stuff (http://www.stillnotdead.com/), his work (http://www.snddesigns.com/), helping with a local wine shop(http://www.thebottleshoppe.biz/), writing for a blog (haven't done anything yet but hope to by this weekend. http://www.craftersattack.com/), dealing with some major family drama, and take care of my sweet dog who has been WAY TO neglected lately! I feel like I am running around like a chicken with my head cut off!

The jewelry stuff is going ok. Still not alot of sales. Traffic in my shop has slowed down as well. I know part of it is because I have no time to promote. Work has blocked etsy except for the 60 min of quota time. I try to use that time to do all of my online networking but I tend to not get very far!

I am about to make a lot of progress on my shop. This last weekend I pulled out my old 35 mm and fell back in loe with it. Too bad it isnt digital. Well I decide to invest in a really good digital one that set me back some big bucks but I feel like since it is digital i will get so much more use out of it. I am so antsy for it to get here! I plan and taking ALL NEW PICTURES of my jewelry so when I get those up I will definitely have to ask you guys what you think.

Speaking of my camera my hubby and I went to grandfathers mountain this weekend and even though it was past peak up there the valleys were amazing! I really did fall back in love with picture taking and cant wait to take more pictures! I am contemplating selling prints in my shop as well. What do you guys think?

I have a show coming up on Nov. 14th and so far that is it for shows other than my usual wine shop stop but I just have not had the time or energy to do any more. I am hoping etsy picks up for the holidays so I can make some money back-even though I will just spend it all on more beads!

This weekend I am looking forward to Halloween. We are going to a show my hubby co-sponsered and the headlining band is playing the whole dookie album! CAN NOT WAIT. I am going to dress up as little red riding hood and the hubby is the big bad wolf!

If i could put time in a bottle...

..I would take some now! Holy cow have I been busy.

Weddings, funerals, shows, floors, you name it we've done it!

So I have been slack, but from the list I hope you all understand why. On top of that my work has blocked most of the internet so I never can get on here to blog, post on esty, twitter, ANYTHING! I finally went out and got a netbook to take around the corner to Starbucks on my break. Nice getaway but it is not my dear gaspump coffee in Gastonia. Sorry Ella I swear I am not betraying you!

So last weekend we FINALLY re-did our floor in the living room and the hallway. Nice laminate from IKEA! I love my new floors but the dog can't run like he used to.

In jewelry news...I have been selling my items at The Bottle Shop in downtown Gastonia during their wine tastings. This works out well for me since I love wine! It has been going fairly well. Unfortunately I took checks for the first one, and my biggest sale...well..the check bounced. Guess I need to quit taking checks unless I know the people personally. My bad. Right now I am trying to brainstorm other ways to sell my jewelry other than online. Any ideas? I have some in the coffee shop (thanks Ella) and needs to look at a few more stores. I usually am much better at marketing but lately I have been way too busy to do anything. I am behind on making jewelry and taking pictures!

In other news...I am so excited for Halloween! If any of you are from the Carolina's I am sure you are very aware of Scarowinds. The Halloween season can not come fast enough. Witches, goblins, bats, cats, pumpkins, ghosts....life is never better. Think I am going to FINALLY be Lily Munster this year!

Ok Gotta get back to work...grrr...at least the day is almost over.

Check out http://www.ambersaccent.etsy.com/ I have a Halloween necklace and pair of earrings up as well as I did some price drops.

Wild and crazy weeks!!!

I always hear about people traveling a lot and I have never been one of those people. Well apparently that has changed, at least for these few weeks.

Last weekend we traveled up to Marion, NC to see my friend to the end-Stephani's wedding. I was a last minute bridesmaid so we got to stay overnight. Her wedding was great and she looked beautiful. He dad flew in from Wyoming and let me tell you, I have never seen a father look so proud of his daughter! It was sweet. We had a great time and now I can not wait to see the pictures!

Next weekend we will be in Atlanta to see GREEN DAY! My favorite band in the whole world! My sister got me a ticket for my b-day last month. What a good sister I have! This will be my fourth time seeing them since 1994. I am so excited!

Then in August there is a slight chance I will be going to Tennessee for another wedding! I am deciding I like to travel! I just don't like leaving my dog.

On August 8th I will be at the Butter Bean in Huntersville selling my jewelry. It has been awhile since I have done a show and I am very excited! I will have a lot of pieces I did not have previously because they were in shops. One of the shops I had my stuff in is revamping so I have to pull my stuff out. That is fine because they had no foot traffic anyway! You can not open a store in May and change your hours 2 weeks later so you are only working there 20 hours a week and expect the store to do great business. That is a whole other story though.

I have been hitting a slow time, where I do not feel like doing any jewelry work. I need to get back into the swing of things, I just have been so tired and really enjoying my relaxing evenings with my husband! Tonight I have to do work for a friends birthday present I am giving her tomorrow! No excuses tonight!

I am also getting ready to take new pictures and list new items in my online stores. I would like to hear feedback on what colors of jewelry people are looking for. I guess that is something I need to ask on forums. In the meantime check out http://www.ambersaccents.com/ for links to all my shops!

Serial Killer In My Backyard

OK, not really but close enough. For those of you who have not been following the story of the serial killer (or my definition until more details emerge-spree killer) in Gaffney, South Carolina he was killed yesterday. So thank god the guy is gone, but scary where he got killed. He left South Carolina and ended up in North Carolina and was shot by a police officer (after he shot a cop) 5.34 miles FROM MY HOUSE!!!! Who knows maybe we drove past him or saw him in Wally World! For more info http://www.news14.com/content/top_stories/611614/questions-swirl-as-police-say-serial-killer-slain-in-n-c--town/Default.aspx

In happier news I have been tagged in a few blogs so one of these days I will tag many of you in mine, let me know if you want to be tagged.

Also one of the tags was for me to reveal 10 facts about myself so here I go.

1. I love thunderstorms. I chase them and got engaged on the day a funnel cloud passed just north of our house ( I have pictures of it!)

2. I love art. Painting and anything else with my hands (hence jewelry making). Funny fact...in second grade we had our first real art class (not just art project time but an art teacher came in) and were told to paint anything we wants. I painted a tornado and I still have it!

3. I have a dog named Jack. He is a rat terrier and my baby!

4. I got married on the beach in 2007, it was the best day of my life.

5. It took me 10 years, 5 colleges, 3 states and two husbands to graduate from school!

6. At one time I was convinced I was going to be a profiler for the FBI. (still kinda want to be one).

7. I love to eat peanut butter mixed with mashed potatoes. It is WONDERFUL!

8. I do not like the cold, but I love snow!

9. I try to be as earth friendly as I can. I even just bought a bike so I can ride to the farmers market instead of drive!

10. I LOVE the Nebraska Cornhuskers! GO BIG RED!!!!!

OK now that is done.

Well this weekend is my last Gastonia event (for now). I haven't done very good at these so I am thinking of lowering my prices. I just can not figure out if I really should or not.

OK all for now. Happy reading!!! Don't forget to check out www.ambersaccents.com! It is getting ready to get a facelift, or body lift really.

Spiders give me the creepy creepertons!

Ok so this week one night at dinner I am eating and my husband gets up from the table. I ask what is wrong he says "nothing", I'm thinking oh god there is huge spider on the door by the table, or a bee or some other bug that I do not like. Then I feel something on my arm and look down, the spider is on ME. I looks huge and black (bigger than a silver dollar). I freeze and feel like I am gonna be sick! Ryan gets the little guy and takes him outside. Thank god, my first question "was it a black widow" he said no it was fuzzy and had white spots! Apparently it was very small too but it looked huge to me! We did have a dead black widow in our house years ago so now I need to make sure every spider is not one. Anyway since then everyday I feel like I have a spider crawling on me. Gross!!!

In other news I had a jewelry show last Friday and decided that despite my back issues I would change pants in the car after work. Big mistake!! I royally messed it up and felt like I would not be able to get out of my car. So it took 45 min to get from work to the show (where my husband and mother-in-law were setting up my booth) and the whole time I am thinking "I am going to have to live in my car for the next 24 hours. I couldn't even bend forward more than an inch. Well it was much easier to get out of my car than I thought but I was miserable all night. To top it off...no sales! This concert event series in Downtown Gastonia does not do well for any of the vendors. Hopefully next one I will get a sale so I can offset the cost I paid to be a part of it!

Saturday my mom and I went to the Down the Street Bead Show at the merchandise mart in Charlotte. So this was my first bead show I have been to and their were 20 vendors. Holy overwhelming!!!! I decided after my initial walk through to buy from 4 vendors. After I started shopping I could have stayed there all day!!! I had such a great time and got some amazing beads! My mom also bought some stuff so I can make her a few necklaces! I will have to attach one of the pictures of an amazing pendant I bought.

Sunday I spent the whole day listing and crafting. I was more productive Sunday than I have been in 2 months!!!

Here are my sites for you to check out!

http://ambersaccents.artfire.com/

http://www.ambersaccent.etsy.com/

http://www.artgaragesale.com/StoreFront.aspx?SellerId=374

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Ambers-Accents/82144769821

http://twitter.com/AmbersAccents

www.myspace.com/ambersaccent