Saturday

Ahhh its Saturday morning and I surely was hoping to get some extra shut eye this morning, but that didn't happen. I truly believe I have restless leg syndrome because I can never stop moving my legs at night before bed and in the morning when I am just lying there thinking about the morning. But then again it could just be like a nervous habit I have when I am thinking about my day before and thinking of the day ahead of me. But hey, it got me up and got to surprised the family with some yummys from Frenchs Bakery. Granted am trying to lose weight, so that didn't help me :) Oh well it sounded good at the time and I wanted to treat us.

But now, its midmorning and my hubby took my boys to the park. Ahhh some peace and quite and do some relaxing, oh wait scratch that, I need to clean both bathrooms and a few rooms in the house. But it does give me a chance to turn on Air 1 radio and blast the music while I clean. Yup that's right, I might be in my early 30's but I still love to turn on the radio and blast it very loud, like I did as a teen. But instead of blasting Weezer, 311, Foo fighters, Bush and so on I am no blasting my Air 1 radio with bands like Third day, Building 429, News Boys, Skillet and so on. Granted I did listen to Christian music back in the day too, but being a teen I did have my time listing to others and still do to this day but the now I need positive music and it helps me to get through the day.

But sitting here writing away isn't getting my cleaning done. So todays blog is about nothing special, I guess really. But I felt like writing alittle while the boys were gone. But now, really I need to get the house clean and working more on all my site to get ready for the Christmas rush.

Personalized Necklace with Small Heart Charm

Sept. 19th 2013

Wow, I can't believe that fall is almost here. Although in Southern California you wouldn't know that :) but at least our temperatures are going down and its not as hot and muggy as it has been. Honestly we live in a house without air. I guess when the house was built, way back in the day, they figured we didn't need air since we live so close to beach. Well I say blah to that, because guess what, it does get hot here, and let me tell you its no fun. My poor boys, when its very hot, always say to me " I'm so sweaty" and of course all I can say "I know hon" and I feel so bad for them. So I will welcome fall with open arms, as long as the temperature stay nice.

Well, since starting my blog, way for ever ago, I've done so much with my business. I've actually have my own site at www.jewelrybyrmsmith.com. There's not much to it yet, but I am always working on it. I now offer over 400 items on etsy store, so it takes awhile to get all of those items on my actually site. I will still keep with etsy, because honestly etsy is a great site to sell off. I know a lot of seller have issues with etsy but if you have a product that people want and really work towards marketing yourself how every you can, etsy can really work for you. Its a great outlet to work with to get started and learn a lot about selling handmade online. I believe etsy can open up a wide horizon for any seller in the handmade community. The key is not to set all your hope and dreams in etsy but to help you really get out there, so that you can get known and hopefully grow as a seller to sell at other venues like your own site, craft shows, and whatever else is out there to sell on or sell at.

I never dreamed of my little store doing so well but it has and keeps going strong. Some days I get down when sells aren't there or aren't coming in as fast as I would like them, but I got remind myself, this is the way of a work at home mom selling handmade in a retail market. But if I keep my eyes on God and keep my strength in him, then I am reminded of all things he has done for me and my little personalized store.

So my verse today and is something to always remember with God is
2 Corinthians 5:7 -  For we walk by faith, not by sight - NKJ

                               Follow Me Hand Stamped Necklace by Jewelry by R.M.Smith

Guitar Picks

Whoo Hoo, I am excited that I have now started to sell personalized hand stamped guitar picks :) My new picks come in sterling silver and copper. I am excited and so loving them.

Its funny, because when I was telling my mom that I was going to start selling them, she looked me and said why, its just guitar pick and who would want one. Really? Are you kidding me mom. With so many music lovers and musicians, who would not want one. I think they are a great way to get that music lover in your life a great personalized gift, with meaning behind it. Also a great gift for Father's Day, a Birthday, Graduation, or whatever. And don't we know that one person who always play air guitar? Then why not make their dream come true with their own personalized guitar pick :)

        
                                           Sterling Silver Guitar Pick

jewelrybyrmsmith.etsy.com 

And of course we can forget that they can go on a necklace and a key chain.

Copper Necklace

Sterling Silver Necklace

Copper Key chain

And of course I have lot more choice for the guitar picks at in my store at jewelrybyrmsmith.etsy.com

2012

Wow, what a shock, a blog called 2012 - assuming this isn't a very popular blog title this time of year :)

But really 2012, what ever happened to 2011? I swear 2011 went by so fast for me. I never could have imagine what a change 2011 was going to be for me and my family. I never thought that starting my new business would be so successful and yet so enjoyable and rewarding in one year. And this I mean, by all the wonderful people I have meet while making my jewelry for them. It means so much to me when my customers are touch by the special piece that I have made for them or for a special someone in their life. And when my customers take the time to let me know this, it reminds me why I do this in the first place (for them) and always brings a tear to my eye.

It's also been a new start for me. Starting up my own business has been something I have always wanted to but to do what I am doing with my business now, is something I never could have imagine. This business, lets me to be creative yet to be me, it lets me express and bring joy to others, it lets me be open yet to be personal. My jewelry is my way of letting others express what they want to express. I love personalized items (always have) and now that I get to do this for a business has been the most rewarding thing ever. I enjoy what I make by personalizing something special for someone to express their love for personalized items as well. Never could have I thought this would be happing but yet here I am writing this and it just goes to show me, that whatever we put our hearts and soul into and work hard for it, then the dreams we do have do come true. And to be successful in whatever you want to do, does take alot of hard work to make it work. But in the end you will be happy with all that you can do and have done.

And for me 2011 has brought some great joy and happiness from my business, not because of all the hard work I have put into it to have it the way I do, exspecailly with the late nights durning the holidays :), but because of the customers and fans I have. Its for them whom I want to please and enjoy too, with items I create for them. This business is about you and how I can make something personalized a special item that brings joy to you and others.

Now, I can look forward to great joy for 2012, and looking forward to meeting new people and of course creating more new pieces for my return customers and fans.

Thank you all for making 2011 a great year. And I hope 2012 is as great for me as it is for you and your family.

"You must be the change you want to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi

 

Personalized Black Leather Cuff from Jewelry by R.M.Smith

 

To Start Anew and My Weekend

So wow, its been quite awhile since I have last blogged about anything on here. So I have finally have decided to start up again. I read this great post about blogging for your business or even for personal use and I got to say I got alot of good ideas from it and some rather not good ideas but it did get me thinking that I truly need to start up again.

Now my blogs are nothing special at all, infact one week it might be about my work while the next is about my kids, or life - which is one of the things the post said not to do- but I thought I am my own person and if I feel I want to write about my business I will and if I want to write about my kids I will also do that. Honestly to me this is a great way to get to know me as a person to a point. And if that is something you want to know, then hey read up. I am a creator of jewelry not of writing :)

So on that note, lets start this blogging and lets hope I can stick to it.

So this weekend was great, I had enjoyable time with my family up in Big Bear enjoying some down time and alittle fishing. On Saturday, we did go fishing and after so many years of fishing I finally caught my first fish (and yes we did put him back in water and did not keep him - I am not a fish eater) and so did my little guy, Noah who is 3, caught one with his grandpa. Note you will not see a pic of me and my fish since my hubby didn't take the very good picture of me with it, lol. But here is a pic of my little one and his fish!

And the rest of the time up there we just rested and enjoyed the nice weather and went on hikes and the whole time Noah was hiking he kept singing Hike Hike Hike we're hiking through the woods - it was to cute. But then Sunday came and I cant believe it, I go and pull out my back, uggg, what a great way to end a good weekend. So now I am at home trying to take it easy so my back can feel better. At least I can still get up and move around, but it hurts so much. Need it truly to get better because I really have alot of things I need to get done around the house and for work making some great personalized jewelry for my customers. Hmmm what a way to end the weekend but at the sometime it was a very enjoyable time and nice to get away from the city for awhile. And of course while I was up there and was always thinking of some new things to make, so keep an eye out for some new items in my store :)

Friday

Wow, I don't think I could be more happy about it being Friday today. Friday means daddy is home for the weekend and I look forward to him being home and helping me out with the boys. This week has been a week unlike any other. My oldest terrible twos is has come at full force this week and not only that but he has decide that his new time to get u is 6am. I know I told you this before about waking up at 6am, but I was hoping it was just a day or two, but no its been all week. And right now, I feel like I have a new born again, because I am so sleep deprived and my eyes are dark and swollen from not getting any sleep this week. Now I know I will get use to this but until then, oh mine, 6am comes to early for me. Having a 2 1/2yr old and 14month baby has its ups and downs but I love my kids and i know its worth it ex specially what I went through when I had my two boys.

Now except for the long week of getting up early and dealing with kids being stuck in a house most of the week because of the rain, I was lucky enough to get some new pieces of jewelry done for my store. But I think the highlight of my week was having my Gold Calla Lily necklace feature in a blog, which I was excited for and thankful that sofias treasure chest did this - so check her out if you haven't already and follow her because it is a great blog and she has been showing some great stuff from etsy http://sofiastreasurechest.blogspot.com/ . And also I got an order for 3 personalized key chains! But what I am most excited about is my two new chandelier earrings I have made this week. I am not a big fan of big earrings but I am digging these but my fav out of them both are the Black and Heart Chain one.

 My Light Pink Chandelier Earrings

                                            My Black and Silver Heart Chandelier Earrings



So on that short note, lets cheers to it being Friday and hoping for a great new week and alot more new sales!!!

Monday Monday

Oh Monday monday, how you came to soon and so did waking up this morning. My oldest son, who is 2 and half, thought it would be cute to wake up at 6am this morning and let me tell you, I am no morning person. Infact I went to bed last when it was dark out and woke this morning when it was dark out, but yet my oldest kepting me the sun was out, and I kept saying not quite its still dark which means its still night night time, but that didn't work. So now I know I will be in bed by 9 tonight. Oh and to make it better, it was raining all day here, so the kids were kept in all day, fun times!!! But I have to hand it to them, its almost 7:15pm here and they have done great today.

But on the bright side of them getting up early, they took their nap earlier too, which meant an earlier time to work my jewelry. Hey, I get excited when I know I get to start working on jewelry again because it means I get to finish sooner and add my pieces to my store sooner :-) Which infact I did get two pieces completed and listed them in my etsy store this afternoon. I am kinda excited about both pieces because I am loving the necklace ( which  a silver heart chain that is 47in long in length and has coral and pearls wrapped in it) and I also loving my small but shiny fresh water pearl earrings, they might be small but they very pretty and have a great sparkle to them. Now I just need to order more beads so that I get to make some more pieces.

                                                     MY PEARL EARRINGS

 
                                   MY CORAL, PEARL, & HEART NECKLACE