photo-riffic

i am so excited. earlier this week, i purchased my very first dslr. i have been eyeing these beauties for about 3 years now and always waited. when i found out i was pregnant, i realized that i really did want one of these to capture every moment with my baby gal. we started saving a camera budget and  after researching and asking around, i settled on this little 'not so little' guy. it's very exciting! 

my BIL has the nikon starter lens which he's agreed to give me so i'm very much looking forward to tomorrow evening when i not only get to see my sis and fam but also get to start taking photos with this new toy. :D oooh. i hope it's a good one!

it's a girl!

we learned today that baby is a girl. : ) for some reason, we thought baby would be a girl; to get confirmation is quite exciting. aside from finding out the gender, we were also informed that the development of the anatomy thus far looks good. yay for good news! :D what a true blessing.

another fun thing i just discovered. i can feel baby on the outside! for about 4 weeks now i've felt baby kicking on the inside but hubby could never feel anything. well, it's 3.30am right now so hubby will experience his first feelings of movement in the morn! 

time for this one and baby girl to try sleeping again... either way, come morning it's time to go to work! toodles... :)

pregnancy has been...

an interesting adventure thus far.

the good:

seeing baby on the ultrasound. hearing the heartbeat. feeling the baby kicking. watching hubby sing to my belly. eating more. anticipation of each little change that is to come.

the not-so-good:

feeling exhausted most of the time. lowered immune system leading me to be more sick than i have been in the last 2 years. inability to sleep through the night. 

of course the good outweighs (far outweights) the not-so-good. what a miracle conception and development is. to see the small embryo become a fetus and eventually become our baby is something almost unbelievable. i am reminded of God. He created all of this. how conception works, the perfection of a developing fetus, the amazing ability of a woman's body to give birth.... it is all 'unbelievably' amazing.

foliage filled boston

a lovely weekend with my sister, BIL and nephew. : )

my belly at the end of 14 weeks. my sis' belly post baby 7 months. crazy awesome!

jump for joy! it's been years since i've jumped around in a pile of leaves.

my adorable nephew in his bear outfit. : ) he's so cute...

i love you little one!!! if you only knew.

the hubby with baby. :) look at his adorable smile!

i could hug him forever. :) he has sausage links everywhere! i think one day he might just be a linebacker. hehe.

hello little pumpkin

i have some exciting news to share. i'm preggo! :) i'm at 13+ weeks which means i'm done with the 1st trimester. yay! it was filled with awe and excitement as well as much (MUCH) fatigue and uncomfortable nausea. the hubby says he sees more energy in me which is def a good thing.

we weren't trying, per say, but we were open to start trying in dec/jan so only off by 6 months. i feel so thankful that baby was created and has developed almost everything he/she will need for the future already... now for 6 months of maturing and continual developing. 

we found out at 5 wks and saw a tiny little dot on the sonogram. then 7 wks came and went with the sonogram showing a bigger dot and a yolk sac which is a dot resembling a small ring. at 9 wks, baby had a beating heart. :) and at 12 wks, we saw baby's big head and turkey-like torso. we heard the heartbeat and were told that things appear 'good' with baby. that is music to the ears of to-be parents.

being preggo has def brought lots of unexpectedness. in experiencing my own adventure, i realize that each mom to-be and dad to-be has their own special story. at 5 wks, the doctor felt we should be at 7 wks and didn't appear too confident in baby's viability because of how small baby was. also, my progesterone levels were too low so i was put on prometrium supplements. 2x a day for the next 7 wks. i was surprised how i could remember to take these pills every 9am and 9pm. i guess when it matters, it's easy to remember. 

each doctor's appointment brought hopes that baby had grown appropriately. you can imagine the excitement in seeing the heartbeat. it was a gray fuzzy beating little thing on the sonogram screen. :) i also didn't anticipate the extreme fatigue. the lazy lay on your butt all day long kind of fatigue. i thought i would never come out of it; though friends advised me that the fatigue does pass... 

now, we're past the 1st trimester, we saw and heard the heartbeat, and the belly is beginning to protrude a little. 

the less spoken part of being pregnant includes the nerves and anxiety related to the perception of how baby is doing. i realized early on the need to let go and really trust that God has it all under control. 

like this issue. to get or not to get vaccinated. at first i was mandated to get both the flu vaccine and the h1n1 vaccine as i am a hospital worker. but that ruling just got overturned in the NYS courts, so now it's really up to me. i've never gotten the flu vaccine which brings me concern. what if i have some majorly horrible reaction? and the h1n1 vaccine. that is a whole different story. it's such a new vaccine and no one really knows the long term effects. but then again, if i get the h1n1 flu, that can bring very serious consequences to not only me, but definitely baby. sigh... decision making for more than just me. that is very scary. what would you do if you were pregnant?

as wedding planning sheds light into marriage; it appears that being pregnant is appropriately the start of becoming a parent. baby is in good hands and i need to remember that.

that's the story thus far. :)

{new} for your pleasure

morning leaves III . earrings $34

taste of heaven . earrings $34

tuscan vineyard . necklace $26

secret garden . bracelet $36

knick knack . necklace $32

dancing queen . earrings $28

i'm being featured and providing a {GIVEAWAY!}

sweet soul . necklace $40

that's right. :) i usually host features and giveaways but this time, someone has mentioned that they love my jewelry and wanted to feature me. i sure am thrilled! :)

check out her blog to enter!

to wet your taste buds, i'm offering a free $20 Gift Certificate to anything in my shop. that combined with a current sale of 20% off all items equals one massively great deal! :)

fall foliage . earrings $34

madison avenue . earrings $32

work. life. time.

work has been zapping all my energy so i have little left to do anything post work. my work isn't all that stressful or energy consuming - i guess it's just the natural 'getting back into the swing of things' feeling i'm experiencing.

working in a hospital has been interesting. i find myself washing my hands SO OFTEN which i know is good and important but i also find myself getting a bit anal. worried about catching germs. i certainly don't want to bring anything viral back home so i guess being anal about this is okay.

aside from work, the hubby and i went to governor's island last sat. it was fun to trek out to a new land - via a free ferry and explore the grounds. i was too tired so i rested on a chair while the hubby ran around looking at barricks and the such. boys will always be boys. :)

on monday night, the hubby and i went out to flushing for our annual trip to the US Open. i don't go to many sporting events (whose got the money to these days?) but i do so love the US Open. it's filled with energy and life and the night session matches are exciting. this year was the first time we left a bit early because i am now a working gal and needed to get my rest.

starting next monday, i start my other PT job at the private school. i'm teaching 2 classes - one with crochet, sewing and jewelry making and the other with sock monkeys. fun right? :) i'm a bit worried at how i'll manage everything but i'm hoping that i can do it once i get myself organized. 

i've been praying a lot more which has been really nice. i have a 1 hr commute to work and instead of sleeping the whole way, i've been reading the Bible and then writing in my prayer journal. it's been so nice to have a moment to spend with God and try to hear Him more. it's been a long while since i've been consistent in my time with Him and i'm really glad that i have the 'excuse' of a long commute. i hope to experience and hear God more as i try to dedicate each morning with Him. 

hopefully more jewelry to come - but seriously, i'm so pooped these days. it's been really hard to get myself motivated to do more 'work' post work. 

good night everyone! time for this one to sleep...

{new items!}

this week starts my tues-sat schedule. it's sad that i need to work on sat's but i did so enjoy this first monday off. being productive on a free day makes me feel so great! today i did laundry in the a.m. and then went to work making jewelry. making jewelry absolutely frees my mind and spirit but it does take quite some time. i was only able to make 2 pieces but 2 is still more than none! so i'm happy. take a look here and if you want to see more -- head to my shop! feel free to use link to the right. :D

autumn petals . necklace $46

rain drops on roses . earrings $28

{a walk in the park}

i haven't been feeling very creative these days since i've been somewhat overwhelmed and exhausted with a new job. this afternoon, the hubby and i took a walk in central park. such beautiful things before us. 

{time is precious}

so sorry i've neglected you. my friends. time is indeed so precious and suddenly i find myself with so much less of it. can you believe i haven't touched my jewelry creating in almost 3 weeks??? craziness!

it has been a very busy time. i got a job. then the husband and i went to cabo for a last minute trip before i started work. cabo was beautiful. :) it was lovely and relaxing. my very first time at an all inclusive resort. ah. :) such a simple and easy life. wake up. have a buffet breakfast. put sunblock on. go to the pool. read. sleep. sit. sweat. go in the pool. swim around. play. put more sunblock on. :) ah... quite the life.

i started my job this past monday. it's been filled with learning and new things and challenges... a little scary but important for me to just throw myself into it. and so i've tried to do just that. my coworkers are nice so that's quite the blessing.

btw... the winner of the rebeccabeersmiller handknit bracelet was selected at random. congrat's cindy! rebecca has been notified and if she hasn't already, will contact you shortly.

more to come, hopefully sooner than later. drop me a line so i know you're still here with me. :) blessings!

{worthy wednesday} giveaway!

in this etsy community of known screen names and unknown faces, it's extra special for me to feature my "real life" dear friend, Rebecca. rebecca and i went to graduate school together to study the fine inklings and skills of art therapy. she was always one of those super friendly easy to talk to gals and we hit it off rather quickly. it wasn't until Christmas break of our final year though did we make an even deeper connection. whilst sitting in the barnes and nobles by NYU, she shared with me that she had chosen to re-dedicate her life to Christ. to this day, i still remember bursting with joy from within.

not only is rebecca awesomely sweet, kind and energetic - but she is truly an artist. in every sense of the word. she exudes 'art'. if you knew her, you'd know what i mean!

after opening up my etsy shop in jan '09 and loving & sharing "all things etsy", i'm so happy that my talented friend has opened up her etsy shop, rebeccabeersmiller, as well. she is very new to Etsy, so please show her some wonderful love and take a look around. if you love what you see, spread the word. or better yet, buy something! :D

a little bit about...
"I am a 32 year old artist, art therapist, art educator and clinician, as well as wife to a wonderful man and poet, David and cat mom to Nala. I have many, many interests and passions in life. High up there is my love for art, which has always been a defining part of my life and which I truly believe is a gift from God not to be underestimated. And because I believe that God is just, I believe strongly in working for justice, and that art, with its incredible power to move, inspire and heal, can be a great part of that."

"Currently, I work as an art therapist with teens with emotional and psychiatric disturbances, but really that's just a label. These are kids who have had bad- even horrific- things happen to them and now, rightly so, they're extremely angry and are acting out against the system and worldly authorities that failed to protect them. Jesus spoke passionately about the importance of society caring for and protecting its most vulnerable members, and so, in this way, I like to think about what I do as radical Kingdom work. As an artist and therapist, I hope that my passion and companioning will translate to them and help provide an outlet for self-expression and healing."

"I have to credit New York City, a place I love dearly and have called home for the last 10 years, for my latest venture into jewelry design. If it were not for my long commutes in this vast metropolis, I probably would not have the time to dream up and create my jewelry pieces!"

"My current jewelry work is rooted in my experiences as a knitter. Over time, I have challenged myself with different materials, which led to my current obsession with wire. The interesting thing about wire as media is that, though it can be bent, it essentially maintains a fixed tubular shape. However, in conjunction with more of itself it becomes a pliable form. It also has properties that make it hard to control and, in this way, working with this media is like an exercise in learning to let go."

"I started my Etsy site just a few months ago after friends and strangers on the train began commenting on my pieces and requesting to see more. I consider each of my jewelry creations as mini art pieces."

"Because another one of my passions is working towards justice and freedom for victims of sex abuse and trafficking, I donate a portion of my proceeds to Restore, a New York City non-profit that helps women escape enslavement from the sex trade. You can learn more about Restore's crucial work at Restore NYC.

{giveaway} Lady Chloe Bracelet

this beautiful bracelet is made with a thick gauge of brass, making it very sturdy, and tiny tortoise shell glass beads with celadon/black and itsy bitsy purple metallic seed beads. it attaches with a fancy gold plated triple barrel slide clasp. measures approximately 7" in circumference (which, how perfect!, is the average wrist size of a woman).

to enter:
for one entry, take a look in rebeccabeersmiller's shop and my shop. leave a comment telling us your favorite item from each shop. leave your contact info as you'll definitely want to be contacted if you're the winner!

for additional entries, follow my blog, become a fan of my FaceBook page (where you will be the first to learn of special discounts and updates), post about this giveaway on your blog, twitter about this giveaway or buy something from either of our shops. :) the last gains you 5 extra entries! make sure to leave a separate comment for each. there is no limit so enter as often as you wish!

since i will be away from 7/24-7/31 {in los cabos!!!!}, this giveaway will run til friday july 31st at 11.59pm (EST). that means more time for all of you! :) wonderful news, indeed.

{the winner} of the amazing Paco+Lupe bag chosen at random by random.org is k.ro! :) congrat's! i've informed the featured artist and she should be contacting you shortly. you are one lucky gal!

{production}

bohemian summer . earrings $36.oo
pacific dusk . earrings $30.oo
sea flora . bracelet $28.oo
heavenly bliss . earrings $28.oo
joie de vivre . earrings $28.oo
summer breeze . necklace $30.oo