rings.

i am extremely proud of this stacking set - a custom order for a fabulous client.  twisted, beaded, half round and skinny stackers all combine perfectly.  yup, i'm showing them off.  gorgeous, right????

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retro NIN.

okay, seriously, i was the only goth cheerleader at my high school, back when NIN was cool. not sure i fully understand the newest NIN projects, but i can still enjoy the tracks off 'pretty hate machine' (i actually bought the cassette from sunrise records in the mall where i used to work. yeah. cassette. probably still have it too.)

oh, tortured trent reznor. how many breakups did you soothe with this masterpiece? (i know he worked his magic once with this song - an old boyfriend used the lyrics and some carefully planned tears to postpone the inevitable. it was well played, but alas, the relationship still didn't survive.)

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hammering away.

i have been off for the last little while from the day job, and have been mulling (more like hammering out) over ideas on how to expand the whole jewelry design business.  i've been cleaning out my workspace (yes, i still have much of my crafting stuff in boxes.  i'm slow, eh?)  and sorting and seeing what i have in stock, hoping it will inspire me to make some new things. 

i have had the opportunity to participate in three marketing ventures, and i am hoping it will help gain some needed publicity.  the first is a project by the fabulous sugarchills called 10xNine.  you have to check it out - i am featured in this wonderful collection.  we are tempting entrants with a $90 gift card to any of the shops included in this treasury!  there is also a discount code while the feature runs - if you use the coupon code 10xNine, you can get 10% off anything you purchase from the shops featured!

etsy has also rolled out an ad project - it's still in its infancy but of course i had to jump on the bandwagon.  you can check out the write up/explanation here.  similar to google ads or the ads on facebook, shops can choose to purchase "impressions" for a minimal cost.  i started with their $5 for 5000 impressions, and am hoping that it will bring some more traffic to my shop.  any attention is good attention, right?  mine starts today, so let's see what happens.  i haven't had much luck with the showcase ads, but perhaps this is a better way to invest my advertising dollars.

last but definitely not least, my second heartsy deal will be going live next thursday (next wednesday for VIPs!)  i am not going to disclose the discount this time, but let's just say it's bigger and better.  *wink*.  so go sign up!!!!

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blue eyes.

since we were on the topic of cary brothers....
beautiful lyrics, much? (why can't i have blue eyes?)

(postscript - do guys really like wearing hats like that?)

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retro tuesday.

since we were walking down retro memory lane... another fantastic cover (yes, i agree that i did do a disservice to the dream academy). not that i don't love the thompson twins' original version (molly ringwald and jake sharing that birthday cake? every girl wanted their 16th birthday to be like that. heck, i'd want my next birthday to be like that.) this cary brothers' rendition has earned a place on my playlist.

yeah, i know, i'm a geeky romantic. you can shut it now.

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stupid and shallow?

so right now i am feeling stupid and shallow (insert the futureheads' song of the same name here and watch the video below - thanks, m) .  i have been reading 'a game of thrones' over the past week and a half.  it's everything that i like - one of those sweeping epics with finely drawn characters, intrigue, violence and a little bit of romance - but i somehow got totally derailed and drawn in by emily giffin's 'something borrowed', definitely a light piece of literary fluff but yet so darn captivating.  like i think i read it in just a couple of hours, that's how sucked in i got.  yes, i love girly books, especially ones where the geeky girl gets the guy.  i honestly feel guilty because george r.r. martin's series has been dubbed the new lord of the rings, and so many people i know have read it and loved it.  i kind of felt like i was betraying myself by getting distracted by the romantic comedy - and yes, i will probably watch the movie version too.  oh well.  i'm guiltily heading back to mr. martin and his tales of knights and snow.  i promise, no more detours.

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