tips for:

doing and keeping a good manicure

1) cut, file, buff nails.  do this fast like the asian ladies at the salon.  do not buff nails so insesently that they are stone smooth, you need a bit of texture. (N, i'm looking at you!)
2) base coat.  i like diamond strength sally hanson top coat that i double as base coat.
3) paint a thin layer of color.  go down the middle, then cover the ends. (my fave right now are the insta dry line from sally hanson... they dry quick and have the big flat brush that is AMAZING)
4) let dry for a couple of minutes
5) do a second coat of color
6) if necessary, do a third coat of color
7) let this dry for about 5 minutes... should be set enough so that when you do your top coat there's no color slip n slide going on
8) top coat and the most important coat: lay it on thick, but not too thick.  down the middle then the side... THEN (THIS IS VERY IMPORANT) do a swipe at the edge of your nail so that it seels in the color!  trust me on this, the best manicurist i ever had was named jennifer and she worked at the Santa cruz nail salon i would frequent often.  at the time i was doing lots of gardening, and yet couldn't give up manicures.  even with my elbows deep in dirt just hours after my manicure, my nails were perfect for two weeks.
9) when you'r nails grow out a bit, lets say 5-7 days after your manicure, file them down gently
10) do another top coat and repeat the importance of #8... swipe some clear polish over the edge of your nail. (especially important after you file them down again)

you're bf and boss will thank you for paying attention to the details.  maybe not your bf, but your boss definitly will.  ignore the red streaks of color that will brighten all your documents.  they add character. 

digitalizationalogy: the study of the nation of digits

Etsy shop set up tonight.

Etsy shop launch tonight.

this is my own personal welcome to the futuristic year of 2010: ipod, blog, etsy site... and next up is a digital camera!

Dictionary.com

Word of the day (11/12/10):

alchemical \al-KEM-ik-uhl\, adjective:
1. Pertaining to the transformation of something common, usually of little value, into a substance of great worth.
2. Relating to a form of chemistry and speculative philosophy practiced in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance concerned principally with discovering methods for transmuting baser metals into gold.

Sums up my business. 

triple pearl and gold bracelet

double feathers, plastic gems, gold chain earrings

a stupid saying

life is short.

stupid saying, but still true.  now i must tell those i love how much i love them.  i hope you do too. 

i can gypsy at the drop of a hat

Really, I can

catching up

between jurty duty, corporate meetings, dinners with family and girlfriends, and trying to crank out as much jewelry as i can in my downtime, i haven't had a chance to update!!  ugh i was trying to do at least one post everyday between mondays and fridays and i totally dropped the ball this week. 

there's many projects in the works.  that can be summed up in three words: feathers, pearls, gold.

The feathers are divided into three categories: neutral, monochrome, and neon indian.

neon indian with heart gold charm

top row: neutrals, middle row: monochrom, bottom row: neon indian

neon indians with pearl and gold heart

primary monochrome

neon indian round one

purple tear drop pearls with gold wire

There are other projects coming a long, and iw ill be posting pictures as they progress. 

Im hoping for decent weather this morning so that my flea market plans do not get spoiled.  what's the opposite of a rain dance?!

Jury Duty day three

This system should take a cue from the split classes of kindergarten... Two groups which consist of the early birds and the later gators.

In kinder I was OBV part of the later gators, going in around noon. And in this jury system, I would also choose to come in after lunch, and AFTER all the early birds have been questioned and processed. We could be so much more efficient with our time.

Or is this jury selection just a special case where it will take almost a week to select a jury?

My outfits are getting less crazy too, since they didn't work the first two days. I'm losing my edge.

tips for

Surviving Jury Duty (honestly, you must have seen this one coming):

1) Put together an outfit that you might be judgmental about IRL. Wear hollywood Ho gear, sans makeup, and a purse too large for words. Don't iron. Don't even launder.
2) Skip coffee. Fall asleep in court.
3) Do yoga in the waiting area.
4) Tell them your mom is a defense attorney (not a lie) and let them know you are conditioned to be partial.
5) On lunch break, go to in n out. Make sure to do it animal style. (Oops, I mean GET)
6) Bring along Kurt Vonnegut, your trusty old friend.
7) Have a blackberry. Have a blog.
8) Mob upload silly semi-artisy pics in and around courthouse
9) Make eye contact with every other person sharing your misery. Then make a subtly weird face.
10) Wear fur.

fb status update

Having a blog has greatly improved my facebook status integrity. It allows a place for all my random thoughts without having near strangers (mostly peeps from high school that I was never friends with in the first place but bc of social guilt, I approve their friend requests) "liking" my thoughts/ideas without even knowing what I'm truly referring to.

Also it makes me appear less obnoxious, and ill take every bit of that which I can.

Furthermore, I'm still in the great running of jury duty, particularly in the considerable department of jury selection, so therefore I have many ideas and wierd thoughts that I must compile somewhere and fb is obv not the arena for my olimpic-like mind games.

birthdayz

There are lots of birthdays in september because it is 9 months from the holidays and people like to get cozy in cold weather.

There are lots of birthdays in november because people like to get cozy on valentines day.

Jury Duty

There is something legitimately wrong with this system.

Thank god for blackberries so I can mildly amuse myself by bbm-ing everyone on my list, updating fb (yes, its that lame), and posting on ze blog.

I may or may not have fell asleep in the courtroom... I hadn't had coffee yet, so don't get your panties in a twsist about it. We broke for lunch as soon as I awoke. Scarfed down a protein, animal style double double at the nearby in n out and had to settle for a double espresso on ice from starbucks. Gross, but still amazing when that first sip hits your lips. Coffee is for sure my fist and only serious addiction.

Now I'm waiting to go back in court. Will post a pic of my chosen outfit, its that good that I must share with all (2) of your who read this. Think a kindergarten-er on her first day of school who got dressed in the dark at the crack of dawn. Add some leopard print fur, and call it a day. This is all in effort to NOT get picked. Hopefully it discourages the judge and her entourage that I'm a logical reasonal adult who would serve great purpose on a jury.

Wish me luck.

Words/phrases/acronyms that i love

to follow up that post about words i detest, i decided i should post a more positive concentration of vocabulary of words/acronyms/phrases i thoroughly enjoy...

1) insatiable
2) obv
3) totally. totes. tow. t.
4) abso tow mando
5) OMFGSTFUWTFBBQ
6) sycophant
7) cacophony
8) quixotic
9) i could die.  i'm dying.  i die.  i'm dead.
10) page me

this, too, is an ongoing list. 

Nacreous

new ring design:

28 gauge 24K hard gold wire, mini fresh water pearls

This weekend was quite productive on the creative jewelry front.  Finally explored the jewelry district downtown and found my new home away from home at Bella Findings. 

My newest creations are super delicate gold and pearl rings.  I thought about doubling up on the gold wire, but decided against it.  The ultra fragility of these are what makes them stand out.  Be gentle!





Arts and Crafts

latest projects: works in progress

Ribbon and gem hair pieces.  waiting for felt and hair clip backing... will be ready for gyspy wear 11/14 at the Melrose Trading Post with many color and style options.

A project for my own enjoyment:

Chaplin poster 

step one: paste awesome Exit Through the Gift Shop promo poster to cardboard.  White out border and black out edges of poster.

Step two: draw border, buy gold paint and start filling in.  Black out remaining edges. 

Step three: wait.  still need to fill in shadow and detail of gold border, decide what i will paint inside the poster to fill in black space, and want to add a burst of color on the bottom left corner.  this inspiration cannot be rushed... and i will probably finish the poster completely in early 2011.  for now, it looks good atop my large ikea 4x4 expedit bookself.

i know i'm a grown up because...

of my lipstick stained coffee mug.

To me, this epitomizes being a woman.  As a kid I remember watching my mom and grandmother sipping and stamping thier ownership of the drinking vessel with beautiful bold colors.  I would think about how awful it must taste and how I could not wait to do the same. 

It is a sign, symbol, illustration of how hard you will work, how many things there are to get done, how you will be fueled for the day, and most importantly how good you will look while doing it.   

Tips for:

Surviving Los Angeles traffic

1) have ipod fully charged
2) play a good balance between classical (for relaxation) and super crazy hardcore (for venting), you will need both and everything inbetween
3) S a C
4) make some phone calls... it is the perfect time to KIT with friends and family.  you'r gramma will appreciate it.  trust me.
5) don't do this often, but sometimes it really helps.... YELL, SCREAM, GROWL at the top of your lungs.  then shake the steering wheel uncontrollably
6) breathe deep.  in and out.  slowly.  completely fill your lungs up, and completely empty them.
7) turn on KCRW.... it wouldn't hurt to get some culture in your life
8) look around at the other drivers.  this is both a good lesson that you are not alone in this battle and simply quite entertaining.
9) S another C
10) flex your abs, butt, thighs, arms.  un flex.  flex.  unflex.  flex. unflex.  it may be sublte and small, but you will most assuredly notice a difference.

Dictionary.com

Word of the day:

hyperbolic \hahy-per-BOL-ik\, adjective:
1. Using hyperbole; exaggerating.
2. Of or pertaining to a hyperbola.

An all-time favorite... sums up my daily communication style. 

Just one of the many things Shakespeare and I have in common, the least being amazing poets and writers. 

Words/Phrases/Acronyms to consider banning:

- Diva
- Trendy
- "More of the same"
- SMH
- Moxie
- Ghetto Fab
- Chagrin
- Bohemian Chic
- Shabby Chic

This will be an ongoing list... Consider this part one or many.

November 1, 2007

Three years ago today marks my first day at my current job. 

I could not have imagined how well i could adapt and thrive in a corporate environment; how many great friends i could make within the office atmosphere; how great a relationship with a boss could be.

Three years ago i was an awkward kid trying to pretend to be a grown up. 

I spent the first week at work shredding paper and wearing bad outfits. 

Tips for:

Hangover recovery*

1) before festivities get under way:  eat a good and healthy dinner.  also, get your favorite flavor Vitamin Water and preferred lemon-lime soda (i like sierra mist) and keep chilled in refrigerator.  
2) Pack a bag: uggs or flip flops, socks, comfy clothes, a big sweater/tshirt, sunglasses.  you may find yourselves in fishnets and high heel boots the morning after with nothing else to wear to breakfast.  this is acceptable, but not preferred.
3) make sure to clear your schedule for the following day... if you are going WILD, you will need a full day to get back to normal. 
4) drink as much water WHILE you are drinking alcohol.  melted ice in your watered down whiskey does not count
5) before you black out fall asleep, chug more water and eat a piece of bread/left over pizza/garlic naan/whatever carbs are laying around.  when you wake up in the middle of the night to stumble to the toilet in the dark with a dizzy head, reach for more water.  or the sierra mist. 
6) when you are ready to get up for the day, make breakfast plans as soon as possible.  go out, cook, or if you are really lucky, make a phone call to a friend and have them bring food to you.
7) eat.  a lot.  eat more than you think is necessary. 
8) have water, sierra mist, vitamin water, coffee, and tea with breakfast.  no, you cannot skimp on any of these.  yes you must drink everything.  and yes, they all work and serve difference purposes. 
9) make sure there is great TV on: Laker game (or other comparable sports gathering), Zoolander, Iron Chef marathon, or Planet Earth all top my list
10) have company to commiserate with.  Hot boyfriend preferred optional. 



*not a coincidence that this post is post-Halloween