Here we go...

2009 is coming to a close. And FAST! Can you believe how fast it's gone by? If you're anything like me, you are trying to wrap up the last of your holiday *stuff* and finally sit back and enjoy the season! LOL! Easier said than done, eh? I've sure been busy here. Two kids who are OVER the moon that Santa will soon be visiting, anxiously (in a good way) awaiting Christmas with my family, missing those I cannot be with this year and two fairly new Etsy shops too. I'm trying to keep the latter full and update them almost daily (as so many have told me, it is the *secret*, we'll see! LOL!) while prepping for the rest! I've been making tons of new jewels for jenuinejewels and even some knitting for jenuinejems. I love to knit this time of year. The weather is FRIGHTFUL here in MN, and I love curling up with some yarn by the fire. I typically just gift my knitting, as it is such a labor of love! I think the price tag on a hand made scarf or hat or anything, really....will NEVER match what someone has really put into a hand made jem. Especially a hand knit or crochet jem!

This brings me to a kind soul I met on Etsy and her beautiful hand made jems! I *met* (in stars because I haven't actually seen her - but feel like I know her a bit now...LOL) Alanah on Etsy many months ago when we were both getting our shops started. I am quite sure she puts as much heart into her things as I... She was so kind to include me in an Etsy treasury over the weekend! She added my path less followed necklace to a group of fabulous things!

She has a fab jewelry shop, alanahjoy, which is filled with beautiful jewels and her newest venture is yarnplusyarn, which she and her two sisters just opened! Check out these great earrings from her alanahjoy Etsy shop! I just love them!
She has so many great jewels, so check out her jewelry shop from time to time!
Her NEWEST shop, yarnplusyarn also has SO many great jems! She and her sisters just started this great shop and you can get to know them all a bit too. Check out their blog, yarnplusyarn.blogspot.com
Seriously, aren't they darling! They are so talented too! Here are some of their great shop goodies! I love this necklace. So original and unique.

This hat is beautiful too! This neckwarmer is sooo pretty too!
I love the color and detail! There are too many great things to show you but please check them all out! You will love them too! I promise! Thank you Alanah and yarnplusyarn for including me in your treasury! Thank you for creating such gorgeous hand made treasures for all, it is truly a labor of love... My best to you and your sisters on your new shop and a great 2010!!!

So now I must get back to my crazy holiday life! Santa has much to do and apparently, he forgot to send his elves to MY house! LOL! He also forgot to make enough Barbie Campers...grrrrrr! I have to awake in the wee hours and hunt this *jem* down! LOL! And then there's the laundry...
Hope you're all smiling still, I'm trying!

Hello ice!

Oh, here we go. It's winter in MN now. I have a picky internal thermometer - it's the *southern* in me and when it dips below 20, well, it's winter. When I first arrived here in Minneapolis 3 years ago, my cold alarm sounded around 40 degrees but I've mellowed and adjusted! LOL! Now when it's -20, and that won't be long now - I'm a raging ice witch! No amount of time in the arctic circle will get me used to that! LOL! When it goes even below that - and it does - I start checking airfare! LOL! This is the time of year that I'm ok with the cold though. It looks pretty when we get that first layer of snow, it gets you in the holiday mood, the kids love it and they are darling with their rosy cheeks. Mine want to go outside now, even if it's just for a few minutes, because then they can talk me into hot chocolate to warm them up! LOL! This plan used to bug me, but now that they are old enough to layer on all of the winter gear without me - which takes longer than the actual time they spend outside - I tell them to go for it and I just start prepping the cocoa! LOL! I do get more of my work done this time of year too. I get plenty of time inside to create and for that, I am thankful. I've been busy doing just that. I've been on a jewel high! I can't get all of my new jewels listed fast enough. Sarah and Grant join me in my art room these days too. Here's some pictures of them from today with their own *jems*. I love that they are so creative. Sarah especially, tells me all the time that she wants to be an artist. I have no idea what she'll do as the years pass, and at 7, I doubt she does either, but I do think she will always connect with her creative side in some capacity and that just makes my heart happy. I have been so neglectful of my jenuinejems etsy shop since I opened jenuinejewels that I finally got busy on something for my jems shop! Check out these wine charms! I will be listing these tomorrow! Personalized wine charms with initials and birthstones. I also made a cool photograph pendant/necklace for my jenuinejewels shop. Check this out... This is an original photograph taken by me over 10 years ago in Maui while Rob and I were on our honeymoon. It's one of my favorite photos ever so it was a natural pick for my first photo necklace try! The whole necklace has such a vintage earthy feel. I just love it! I hope you do too.

Also made a few things to add to my jens cause section at jenuinejewels. Some new pretty jewels in pink. I love these rose quartz earrings. I promise these are some of the PINKEST rose quartz I've seen in a while. They are stunning all wrapped up in sterling!

I hope you all are having a great weekend full of smiles! Thanks for checking in!

Oh my!

I've been busy! I should be sleeping but thought I'd say hi.
Well, where to begin...
I opened up a new Etsy shop! jenuinejewels is now open! I know, clever name, right? LOL! I figure, this is where all of my jewelry will live now. I think my jenuinejems shop may have been a bit confusing for some. I'm still getting them both sorted out and organized but at least I've started! Check it out - jenuinejewels
I'm still filling up shop slowly and steadily so check in often for more jewels! I actually just hit my local bead shops again for the first time, in a long time. I love a bead shop. They are my Mecca! LOL! I hit the jackpot too! Tons of fabulous jems...can't wait to get busy with them. I think my new dream is to own a bead shop! I did learn I tend towards BLUES. I would look down into my box (they give you a little box and a piece of paper with a little chart on it to keep tally/prices of your jems at most bead shops, fyi) and it was full of blues! I didn't even realize I was doing it. I had to consciously look for other colors! LOL! I found some great glass beads this time. Lampwork too. Gemstones also, of course. Beautiful jades, agate, quartz and chalcedony. Some beautiful smokey quartz - they sparkle like mad! I hope I can bring myself to actually sell whatever I make out of them! LOL! I'm also waiting on an ebay haul I just recently ordered. I had no idea what great treasures in beads are offered there! I also finally ordered a good ring mandrel, so I can start making the ring designs that have been living in my head. Next will be a jewelry tumbler. I've been doing all of my research and after the holidays - I hope to order one. It should really, really take my jewelry to the next level I hope.
Do you ever feel like there just aren't enough hours??? LOL!

I have also been sewing! I know, crazy! I have a dear friend who is a serious artist - she quilts. Her creations are DIVINE and the time and heart she puts into each quilt, well, it's amazing. In any case, she has been teaching me a bit about sewing in between laughs and smiles. It just so happens that my late MIL gave me her sewing machine and all of her sewing goodies. At the time, I don't think I appreciated them as I do now. I have enjoyed getting them out and knowing that as I work, she once sat as I am, concentrating, careful, (ok, sometimes cursing...LOL) and anxious to present her end result to someone she cared about. More on that and what in the world I'm sewing later. They will be on jenuinejems asap! BUT, thank you sweet Jean. I know now, what went into all of your beautiful things...

I can't wrap up without saying I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, if you celebrate. Mine was really just perfect. Family and fun with a ton of love - that sums up my Thanksgiving. I am so thankful for so many people in my life! Up there is a little fam pic from the weekend. This was downtown on Black Friday.
Talk to you soon!
Hope you are smiling!