The Grand Opening of Sharks & Stars!

     this week I have been working very hard to open my Etsy shop!  I have been making jewelry for years.  Since 2005 in fact!  Back then I took plastic toy butterflies, painted them and attached chains.  It was a lot of fun.  I took them to a holiday bazaar.  I remember sitting at that folding table in my uncomfortable folding chair wondering if I would sell anything.  I had 16 colorful butterflies in tiny plastic bags all lined up in a small square in the middle of my large table.  Two extra butterflies out of their bags on the table next to the packaged ones, to show off the chains.  I was also wearing my favorite purple one over my black long sleeved shirt.  I bought the shirt to silk screen my logo on but hadnt had time.  I had high hopes.  I sat there all day.  I had a few friends visit.  The bazaar was held at my boyfriend at the times work.  He sat with me most of the day.  I sold all but a few butterflies, I am pretty sure it was because he was so well liked.  The next year I tripled the amount of butterflies.  I was a machine, cranking them out.  Sadly I didnt sell very many.  Over the years I have done lots of different bazaars!  Mostly I share a table with my mother, she sells pocket scarves, and sitting near my friend Melissa.  Every year adding something different.
     Last year I learned how to hand cast resin into jewelry with Melissa.  It was ahMazing!  I loved it!  I immediately ordered over 100 bezels for the interwebs and got started making!  I still make weird stuff like painted bugs and animals and I even added sharks on shrinky dinks.

     So I am now sharing my shop with you.  It is always nerve wrecking to put yourself and your creations out there.  I have put off filling my shop for years...  But I did it and I am pretty proud!  What is there to lose?  From now on that is going to be a theme in my life.  Life is short so I might as well make the most of it!


Thanks for looking!  Let me know what you think!

PS  What do you think of the new name?

History Lesson: Smoking

     i smoked for nine years.  The picture above is from when I was 18.  I am probably smoking a Newport.  Then I smoked a pack a week.  At 22[ish] I started rolling my own with a machine and smoked half a pack a day.  My boyfriend, at the time, made me give up menthol, which was a good idea.  I loved smoking.  The way it tasted and relaxed me.  I knew I needed to quit, but didnt really want to, till two years ago.  First I tried the patch, which almost killed me.  So gross and the nightmares it gave me /shudder...  I decided I started on my own, I had to quit on my own.  I cut all the way down to half  a cigarette a day.  Then life got complicated and I started up again.  January [oops... I forget the date], I tried to quit again.  This time it worked!  It is so strange now to think that I spent more of my adult life as a smoker then not.  I have had a few drags when drinking but it was only a handful of times.  I do like to "fake" smoke.  Go outside when my friends smoke and hold an unlit cigarette.  Makes me feel like I am still part of the cool kids!  It is also fun to explain to drunks that it is unlit for reason.  I am still very proud of myself for quitting.  I do have to admit, giving up dairy was way more difficult! I also feel like I should say nice things about the people who put up with me when I was quitting.  I heart you and thanks for not killing me!  :)

Create:  None.  It was Friday and I needed to hibernate....

What did you have to give up?