Where have you been????....

Hello everyone,
I hope no one goes into shock from this feed, if so, dial 911 before you actually pass out! 

I felt I owed an explanation to my loyal followers, I've just been waiting for the right time.  Sometimes you just need a break from the norm to do something different and that's exactly what I've been doing for the past 6 months or so. I took a break from making jewelry, blogging about jewerly, twitting about jewelry, facebooking about jewelry, sleeping jewelry, selling jewelry, blog parties, blog hopping...and well, you should get the picture by now. The marketing effort for my jewelry business was becoming too overwhelming and for the second time, social media was taking over my life until............I got a new camera for Mother's Day....do you remember???  What started with Nikon for Dummies has grown to.....

yep...can you say anal learner???

Now don't get me wrong...jewelry is still around, along with the ton of supplies I have, I've just needed to pull myself away to refocus, not to mention silver prices were killing me!  I truly miss so many of my wonderful blogging friends, but I guess you could say I had to go cold turkey on social media, it was the only way to get my life back, I hope you all understand. My goal for the jewerly business will be to rethink my strategy for the new year, rethink how and who I market to and rethink what works for me and what I'm able to manage and still be a good mom first.
You'll slowly see me begin peeping in to visit as I'm itching to see what you all have been up to!
In the meantime, I invite you to keep up with me on my latest blog  Unveiling Through My Lens.  I'm about to start journaling my lessons in photography. Please feel free to visit from time to time and watch me unveil through my lens weekly and share my personal lessons in photography. No promotions, no selling, no parties, just photos, sharing and more unveiling through my new found art! 

WireArt Giveaway

Here's your chance to win some BEAUTIFUL jewelry designed by Jim MacKintosh, creator of WireArt Magazine.  Click the link below to visit their site and watch the video to learn how. Jim is a very talented designer and teacher.  You won't want to miss this opportunity...enter today ONLY two days left!  click here.  AND...the magazine is like no other, get your Summer issue today!

I call it...Nobody's Home

All is quiet here....been playing around with my camera and photoshop elements...yeah me!! Not sure why..but I really like this shot.  What do you think?

Happy Memorial Day!

Enjoy the Celebrations of Today...

but remember to commemorate those ...

who sacraficed...

their lives...

 for our country...

and for you....

Happy Memorial Day, be safe and enjoy!

Help Wanted - Apply Within

Looking for qualified fairies to help with daily chores of a working mom. These individuals (or  figments of my imaginiation) will be responsible for assisting with daily and weekly house chores, raising a teenager, as well as occasional business tasks to make my life easier...while I sleep.  Additional job duties and requirements are as follow:

Major Responsibilities:

• Make my life easier

Job Duties:

• Compiling and finding laundry to be washed, dried, folded and put away; to include looking under bed and in closet of teenager
• Preparing weekly dinner menu and cooking dinner daily (I'll take care of the grocery shopping)
• Keeping Kitchen and bathrooms cleaned and sanitary, closing all doors and cabinets left open by teenager
• Mopping floors and vacuuming carpet
• Keeping cushions straight on sofa; to include checking between pillows for remote controls and candy wrappers and under sofa for anything the teenager didn't want to take upstairs
• Assisting with organization; to include packing teenagers backpack during the night with homework left who knows where, making sure pencils are sharpened and packed. 
• Watering flowers inside and outside 
• Occasionally packaging mailers for customer shipments
• Occasionally checking emails, and posting and responding to social media sites 
• Completing unfinished jewelry projects
• Photographing jewelry

• Checking answering machine and deleting old messages

Position Requirements:

• Must have functional and reliable wings to work posted schedule; to include arriving on time and leaving early.
• Must be honest with no criminal record, and willing to do a background check
• Must be able to work overnight shift...quietly
• Must be able to operate coffe maker, vacuum, dishwasher, washing machine and dryer
• Must have knowledge of Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer and Outlook, answering machines
• Must be familiar with social media sites such as Blogger, Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo Groups, Twitter, etc.
• Ability to check Middle School homework and respond to emails
• Must be able to type at least 45 words per minute or complete task by morning
• Must be proficient in finishing jewelry projects; to include adding closures and wrapping wire
• Must be tolerant of repeated tasks, like closing cabinets and drawers, picking up clothes and shoes, closing toilet seats and vacumming daily
• Demonstrated ability to cook a complete meal; to include vegetables to the teenagers liking

Educational Requirements:

• Successful completion of Middle School
• Some knowledge of business writing

Weekend work may be required, apply within!

Unveiling in chores,

Blogger Issue Resolved - I can post comments 05/26/2011

This will be a quick post, as I'm exhausted from trying to figure out what was wrong with my blog for three days.  I hope this helps anyone else on my list who is having problems with the unresolved issue or unanswered questions from blogger to date.  My fix may not work for you, but hopefully it will...and hopefully mine is a permanent fix.

Problem:
I've been unable to leave response comments to those who have left comments on my blog. I've also been unable to leave comments on my fellow blogger pages, without doing so anonymously. It appears that I'm logged into my dashboard, but not signed into my page.  If I try to sign it, it just keeps looping back to the log in page.

My FIX: 
 I suppose this will work with IE or Firefox, but the paths may be different.  It appears that I had to ALLOW third party cookies for blogger.  To limit it to just blogger I followed the following path in IE8:

Tools, internet options, privacy, sites. I entered http://www.blogger.com/ in the box and clicked allow.  The only other thing I did was changed my comment box to a pop up window.  I then closed my browser window and reopened and now I am logged in on my dashboard, as well as on my page and I can leave comments on my blog and others. 

Unveiling and hopefully helping someone else,
Dee

A Little Giddy...just a little!

Feeling a little giddy tonight!  Okay, not a little...A LOT.  Have you ever researched something til you found the right one for you only to realize you couldn't afford it?  Have you ever wanted something so bad you could taste it?  Ever looked at something for months and months, even years til you dreamed about it?  Ever stalked the internet price comparison sites month after month, waiting for your "something" to go on sale? ...Then finally - you get it!!

If you've answered yes to any of these, and the end result was you finally getting that "something", then you know exactly how I'm feeling this week...on Monday...I GOT IT!!! Finally..................

I've been patiently waiting two years for this!!  I am officially going from Point and Shoot to DSLR...yeah baby!  So why did I open the box yesterday and close it back up and put it away?  Was I scared by all the parts and the bigger user manual and all the buttons and knobs and pins and whistles??

Yep...so by Friday, I hope to have this............

There's a steep learning curve if I want to get the most out of this camera. The good thing is that the Nikon I currently use, has very similar menu's to this one, minus several added features and then some, but the hold is the same, and I'm "almost" not feeling quite like the dummy I thought I would be!  I'm also going to start attending some of the photography meet ups I've been stalking and learn all that I can from pros. 

Heres a neat photo I took tonight using one of the auto scene options.  Had I done this with my regular camera, it would have barely come out...if. 

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not even close to getting rid of my other camera's...yes that's plural for three. But I am thinking of sharing one of them with my son,  if he acts right.  He is constantly reminding me that I have too many!  what do you think...is four camera's too much? 
Unveiling in photography soon,

It's Strawberry Season....

Has it really been a week since my last post? Shame on me...really!!  I suppose that 14 day feature really wore me out.  So how are you?  What have you been up to? 

Well, I'm back on the wagon, rested and ready to go...tomorrow.  So in the meantime, check out these nifty little earrings I recently made using strawberry ceramic beads from Rings and Things. Cool huh?  Not my typical design, but I couldn' resist a fun set for the upcoming Memorial Day weekend!

If you're not into strawberries, check out the cool tutorial on their blog for "wire lashing"  and make yourself a pretty bracelet or your own fun pair of earrings.   

wire lashing from Rings and Things

Until tomorrow..unveiling,

WFTD 2011 Success...and Drawing and Award Winners!!!!

Fair Trade Resource Network

Today officially ends the World Fair Trade Day Celebration for 2011. It has been another successful year, with over 50,000 participants registered so far and the numbers are still rolling in, I'm certain this year will reach larger numbers than last. I will also be reporting my blog hits for the past 14 days.

soooo..THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU....for stopping by and reading my featured articles the past 14 days and extra special thanks to those who left comments during the Feature telling me about your experience or letting me know you were learning and sharing.  Thank you for all the lovely comments and for gettting me excited.  If you'll remember...14 days ago, I said, "great things could happen if Dee gets excited"..well I did and I'm about to tell you what those great things are after I share some exciting news!  

Exciting Fair Trade News: Chicago became the largest Fair Trade Town in the US and the second largest in the world this month. Way to go Chicago!! Your diligence the past two years brought you great success!! If you don't know...the US is lagging behind other countries in regards to Fair Trade awareness and sales, but we have been gaining strength over the past few years and with cities like Chicago leading the way, we will soon give the UK a run for their money, as they have lead the way in record sales and awareness of Fair Trade for years.

Yeah...I had to plug that last bit of knowledge before closing things down for the year. 

Drawing and Winners

Okay...what you've been waiting for, but not expecting until I told you right?  Well, here's where I may get a little sappy, so I apologize and intend to offend no one.  I truly truly appreciate all of the hits I 've received for this feature, and wish more had left comments to say hello and let me know who you were. If you've been following me for a while, you know that I'm passionate about a few things and Fair Trade just happens to be one of them.  I didn't announce a drawing mainly because (1) I was writing and sharing about something that I love, to support a movement that I believe in and (2)  I really wanted people to take something away from the posts and not just stop by to leave comments to win something.  I guess what I'm trying to say is the feature was more personal for me, and not about the hits or gaining followers this time. 

Sooo, for everyone who left comments since May 1 on one of my Fair Trade posts, your names were entered into a drawing tonight. Yeaaahhh you!!   Just like the Grammy's there are a couple of special categories (smile) and a general drawing.  The items I purchased from Ten Thousand Villages for this give-a-way are small in nature, but were selected with a purpose in mind...CONVERSATION.  I hope those who win tonight will display their gift from me where others will see and ask about them, giving you the opportunity to share the story of Fair Trade...so now, here we go........... 

Most Engaged

Lisa of Fishyface Designs

Lisa followed and commented through the entire series.  Her engagement and enthusiasm over learning about Fair Trade touched me in a very special way.   If you follow Lisa over at her blog, you'll soon learn for yourself that she is full of life and loves meeting new people.  I'm honored to have connected with Lisa along this journey!   Thank you Lisa!

She will be receiving a set of  Terra Cotta handcrafted elephants from Bangladesh.  These elephants were crafted by primarly female artisans who work under the name CORR.  CORR stands for Christian Organization for Relief and Rehabilitation.  Their work strives to empower rural women through handcraft production, and small job creation projects and provide job training, leaderhip skills and generates awareness of women's plight.  

Fair Trade Designer

Two names were entered into this drawing for their use of Fair Trade Beads in their jewelry and the winner is....

Linda of Linda's Bead Blog and Meanderings 

Linda currently uses Kazuri Beads in her jewelry designs, which are a Fair Trade item from Kenya. Linda makes beautiful jewelry.  Please visit her blog where you learn of her creative abilities..she's always busy making something. 

The runner up for this category was Jean from Pretty Kitty Dog Moon Jewelry.  Jean is a jewelry designer, columnist and author.  She makes gorgeous jewelry and collects strange looking dolls (smile).  She also recently one the 7000 bracelets for hope bracelet. Follow Jean on her blog to find out more about this designer who also dabbles in using Fair Trade components.  Thank You ladies for your continued support!

Linda will be recieving a Dancing Girl pin.  This handcrafted pin, using discarded materals, is a long standing Fair Trade handicraft product from Kenya by a group named KICK. Residents of  Kisumu learned to make items such as the Dancing Girl through a workshop.  They were also taught to make jewelry, paper and home decor, leading to a workforce of craftspeople and artisans.  The Dancing Girl is a novel to the traditioanl kenya crafts made from wood and soapstone.  She can be worn on your lapel, backpack, purse or hat, and she'll definitely  promote conversation.  Congratulations Linda!

Lucky Ducks

All other names including Jean were entered into the Lucky Duck drawing and the winners are.....

Ma'Michele of Cooking with Ma'Michele

Kayla of The Eclectic Elements

Regina of Regina's Writings

a chef, a great blogger and a jewelry designer!!  Please visit their blogs to see what Ma'Michele is cooking up, what Kayla is up to and what beautiful new things Regina is creating.  Thank you ladies and congratulations!

The lucky ducks will be recieving Stone Paperweights handcrafted in India.  These stone paper weights bring peace, wisdom and strength. 

They were created through the TARA Project, which stands for "Trade Alternative Reform Action".  It is a program for community development and business.  It enables hundreds of artisans from North India to sell their products internationally.  It is one of the pioneering Indian organizations in the field of fair wages, non formal education programs for children and women, and health and environmental awareness.   

If all winners would please email me with your contact information, I will put your winnings in the mail this week.

Congratulations to all, thanks for stopping by and continue spreading the word about Fair Trade!!  If you're just following you can read all the articles from this series by clicking on the Fair Trade Coffee Break link on the right side of my home page. 

Unveiling until Fair Trade Coffee Break 2012,

Dee

Beads For Life - Fair Trade Series Day 11

I might be tired, but I won't go down that easy...that's right I'm back!  Tonight is day 11 of a 14 day series of blogging about Fair Trade.  As we count down to World Fair Trade Day on May 14th, the excitement is building around the country as groups, organizations and individuals prepare to share with others what Fair Trade is all about. 
Tonight I bring to you another great Fair Trade Organization called Beads For Life. 

Bead for Life eradicates extreme poverty by creating bridges of understanding between impoverished Africans and concerned world citizens. Ugandan women turn colorful recycled paper into beautiful beads, and people who care open their hearts, homes and communities to buy and sell the beads. Since 2004, BeadforLife has provided sustainable income for Ugandan women and their families by selling their beautiful jewelry, handmade from recycled paper. The women are HIV+ mothers, refugees from a brutal civil war, former prostitutes and other impoverished people. Before joining BeadforLife, all of the members struggled to get by on less than $1 a day. BeadforLife acts as a ladder out of poverty, providing women not only income, but entrepreneurial training, business funding, health programs, and the chance for women to build a home of their own.

The beads thus become income, food, medicine, school fees -- and hope. It is a small miracle that enriches us all. All profits from BeadforLife are invested in community development projects that generate income and help people work their way out of poverty.

I designed a bracelet a couple of years ago, that I named "Kaleidescope of Life".  The entire bracelet was made using all Fair Trade components with the exception of the spacer beads. I made 12 bracelets and donated 50% of the proceeds back to Bead for Life. They are beautiful in color and you can wear it with anything. Each bracelet came with a pamphlet that told the story behind Beads for Life, so that the owner could share the story. Of the many things I've sold, these bracelets went like hotcakes..literally! 

Visit the Bead for Life website to find out more about what this great group is doing.  Join the Bead Circle and get updates through their newsletter and emails, meet the beaders through their videos , make a donation or host your own Bead for Life Party, and share the story..they'll tell you how to do it, step by step!   
I absolutely love what Beads for Life is doing. They truly speak the message of empowerment through their project. 
Thanks again for dropping by. After you've had the opportunity to visit the Beads for Life website, I would love to know what you think about the project. If you're already familiar with Beads for life, please share your story and how you work with this group of extraodinary women. 

Until tomorrow...Unveiling,