WX Jewelry

I have officially begun making Weather Jewelry, as the first batch of components arrived just before Memorial Day weekend. I made 2 bracelets and one necklace (with plans partly done for a second necklace)...not bad for a line that has just been started. Typically, it takes me all day to create a new design or to try different things to end up with a better product, but today was very quick. Next step: creating the Weather Jewelry website (http://weatherjewelry.com). I'm skipping the basic site this time and just spending my time on the more complicated version. So, it may be a while before anyone can see the products that I make every day. Plus, I still need to take pictures of the pieces. So much hassle...I'd rather just design and create jewelry all day and not have to deal with taking pictures, adjusting the pictures so that they display the product as realistically as possible, shrinking down the pictures (and having two versions--a larger version and a thumbnail version), etc. Bleh. Perhaps if my business goes well, I can hire someone to do it for me, heh.

The holiday weekend was nice, minus all the driving and the dealing with certain relatives. Nothing like getting cornered by two maniac relatives after you've driven 6.5 hours (started early early morning, ugh) and are in serious need of food (I ended up being the last person to get food because of the cornering). I really did enjoy staying at the Phillips Hotel in downtown KC...beautiful Art Deco 4-star hotel. There was no way that Don and I could have afforded it normally--thank goodness for Hotwire rates! Another great thing about the hotel was that it was about 2 blocks away from the Municipal Auditorium--where my brother was graduating on Sunday. We didn't have to deal with parking issues, yay!

This weekend was the first time Don and I had seen my parents since the wedding. It was nice spending time with my family again. I had also really missed KC BBQ...had more than my share this past weekend. Time for a diet again, for both Don and I. When we left KC, we were lugging the majority of my junk at my parents' house (only a few ceramic objets d'art and some clothing remain) in the behemoth Giuliano van. One less reason for my dad to get mad at me! With the junk was the very valuable smoker that my dad no longer wants (he's getting one that's bigger and better)--Don is very excited about doing our own smoking :-) I certainly won't be complaining.

I'm looking forward to this week because Kelly is in town. Hopefully we will be able to meet up and Lackmann won't keep her so busy that we cannot meet even for a short time. They have to eat, right? Then again, knowing my former advisor, he'll be planning meetings with all the bigwigs for all meals.

Until I receive a phone call or email from Kelly saying that she'll be available at so-and-so time, it's back to the jewelry design. And perhaps I'll stop being a lazy bum and actually start work on the website design. Time to create a new logo and a ton of icons...

Weekend!!!

I'm still peeved that Blogger deleted my old account...wanted to keep my old blogs. Didn't care for the upgrade, especially since it meant that the old account got deleted. Thankfully, it still allowed me to keep my old name. Anyway, this was a random thought I had today and got peeved about all over again. Such a small issue, but I suppose I'm in a silly mood at the moment.

Today has been a good day. Life is getting better, less blue. It certainly helps that it's Friday, though. Friday means hanging out with friends, lunch with Don and his friends, Don home for 2 days straight, and not much time to do work that I don't want to do anyway. I spent almost 2 hours (instead of the usual 1 hour during the school year) hanging out with friends...was so very happy.

Soon I'll be starting to paint some of the rooms in the house. Don and I just bought some small cans of paint to test the colors in our office and the cats' room. Hopefully the colors will work out...don't want to go through the process of looking at paint chips again! I have had some problems picking out paint colors for the rooms--the mental pictures I have just haven't corresponded with the paint chips I bring home. My biggest problem is that I'm just not an interior decorator--my mom has reminded me of this again and again. I love art, painting, and decorating, but I have so much trouble designing the look of the interior of my house! In the past, I have put together what seemed like good shades/colors, only to discover how hideous they really are together. I really don't want to mess up my house...so I'm picking "safe" colors: mainly pastels and only 3 colors (with various shades)--blue, green, and violet. I'm hoping that I'll be able to paint the sample blocks in the two rooms this weekend...and then we'll see if they will work!

In other news, I'm starting a new line (separate from Lavender Frost lines, but still under the company), called Weather Jewelry. I haven't made any pieces yet, but have just ordered some of the initial components I need to make a few samples. Hopefully sales will pick up faster for the Weather Jewelry than the Lavender Frost lines...web site has been operational for several weeks and haven't had my first sale yet. It's rather disappointing and frustrating...if I could just get that first sale! Once I get one, I'll be very patient about subsequent sales...I just need proof that I can actually sell one of my products. The nice thing about Weather Jewelry is that it is completely unique...I have yet to see anyone else making a line of jewelry that is only weather-related. Plus, I already have a possible outlet for sales--a rather popular weather site owned by a friend.

Really hope that storm chase season isn't over yet, at least not for the southern plains. Don has figured out how to better show low-light conditions on the new HD camcorder, so it would be great to be able to use it on some storms. Personally, I'm not too sure I'm ready for more tornadoes and more danger...I may have had a bit too much on the last chase we went on (Greensburg and St. John days). But I know that the best way to get over a fear is to face it...and face it I will. I just won't be facing it as Reed recommended I should face it--by being as close as humanly possible.

Finally got around to picking out wedding photos to put into the parent albums--the belated wedding gift Don and I are giving to our parents. Hopefully I will be able to print them soon, put the photos into the books, and give the albums to our parents. Wonder if I can get it done before Memorial Day weekend, when Don and I will be in KC for family graduation celebrations (for my mom [finished Masters in Education--Biology/Life Sciences], my sister [fall semester, Bachelors in Education], my brother [high school], and me). Still need to reserve a one-way trailer to haul back all my junk to Norman at the end of the trip...need to remember to do this and soon! Also need to remember to bring the second copy of my thesis with me, for my parents.

This blog pretty much sums up my thoughts right now...jumping from topic to topic. Perhaps it just means that it's time for bed. Mmmm...sleep....