BAEK

12:21 pm: Be a Winner!
I am pleased. Nay. I am thrilled to say that a virtual Etsy friend of mine has both feature my jewelry (www.BrigaBauble.etsy.com) on her blog but is also running a giveaway (a blog giveaway if you will) for a free chance to win my large hoop and pink jade earrings.

Check it out: http://roses7184.blogspot.com/2009/03/special-feature-wednesday_17.html

Entering is free and easy! Plus, you can always give them as a gift.

Tags: blog giveaway, brigabauble, earrings, etsy, handcrafted, jewelry

06:00 pm: And the Winner Is...ME!
Like all cheapskates, I love free stuff. I'm the one who will attend a conference for work solely because of the prospect of free stuff. In fact, "Tchotchke" should be my middle name! At my last job I was friends with the special assistant to our chief marketing officer.

My friend happened to be in charge of all of our tchotchke and I was thrilled to have such a direct line to fun things like inflatable globes that could also be used as a beach ball, baseball caps, t-shirts, weird new-age frisbees, pens galore, etc.

Anyway, you get the point. Me=love of free things.

The only problem is that, when it comes to winning things, I have a history of no luck. Not even bad luck, just no luck. I've played a lot of Bingo in my lifetime and have only won about 4 times (and I could name each and every one of them). I enter blog giveaways on a regular basis...And never win.

UNTIL NOW!

Today I am a winner! And what I won is not some mere chochkey. Not some silly item that no one can figure out to do with it so it gets thrown away. (Although, being a pack rat, I rarely throw things away.)

Nope, I won a gorgeous necklace and earring set made with emerald green Swarovski crystals by the incredibly talented Etsy seller YouniquelyChic. (Don't ya just love the name?)

Now, if you want to know how I won, you're gonna have to hop on over to Chic's blog for all the gory details.

In the meantime, don't forget to check out YouniquelyChic's shop on Etsy and pick up some lovelies for yourself (or someone else).


Tags: blog giveaway, brigabauble, earrings, emerald green, etsy, etsy seller, handcrafted, jewelry, necklace, st. patrick's day, swarovski crystals, winner, won, youniquelychic

01:03 pm: I've been blogged! (AGAIN!)
Meet me on Robyn's Art's blog...

08:38 pm: Love Books? Chocolate? Both?
I love books. Not just reading, but books themselves. And chocolate. Love me some chocolate. And the Czech Republic. Love the CR. And purses. And, odd as it may be, spoons!

So, when I discovered an Etsy seller who not only combines all of these loves of mine but also sells her wares to help her parents keep the house that her dad (a Czech immigrant!!!) built, I just had to write about her!

The shop is A Spoonful of Chocolate Hope and the wares range from chocolate spoons to handbags and passport holders handcrafted from old books. No worries all you fellow book lovers, Spoonful is quick to ensure all potential buyers that no books are harmed in the process of her crafting.

As I was writing this post I actually became so paranoid that someone would buy the Nancy Drew wallet/passport holder that I so desperately desired and so, despite a negative PayPal balance in an account that had more than $100 in it not so long ago, I swooped in and bought it. And now, I am a much happier person than I was a mere 10 minutes ago. Don't you want to be a much happier person too?

Well, all you have to do is head on over to A Spoonful of Chocolate Hope, make a purchase and enjoy the ensuing double bottom line: a gift for you (or someone else) and help support an awesome crafter in her quest to help her parents save their home!


Tags: books, chocolate, czech, etsy, etsy seller, etsy shop, foreclosure, handcrafted, handmade, hardback books, immigrant, nancy drew, passport, passport holder, recycled books, spoons, wallet

08:06 am: Snow, Snow, Snow...
[I got a nice mention in a fellow Etsy seller's blog today. Would appreciate your checking it out and posting a comment--you don't need to register or anything! And, i'm included in a list of very talented artisans. Gotta scroll down to the end to find me :)

Yuppers, the snow it is a'fallin'. This is one of those few times that I wish my job was impossible to do from home, or that I worked for a large enough company that we would close for snow. I do enjoy my job and my co-workers and count myself lucky for that. At the same time, I'm just plum wornout! I could really use a vacation but, considering that I've been struck by the flu not once, not twice, but three times since the beginning of December, taking vacation days is more or less not an option. I'm lucky if I can go two weeks without needing to take a sick day!

Speaking of being sick, major disappointment last week on my work trip to NYC. Had been so very excited about meeting up for a sushi dinner with ilovejolt but, it was as though I had magically spread my recent flu germs to her from Northern VA. My dear friend had to cancel because she had all the symptoms of coming down with something nasty--and we haven't had time to catch up in for-ev-er! In the end it turned out that I probably would've had to cancel anyway since I ended up working until past 8 that night. But still, miss her I do.

Money has become, as it is for many to most of us at the moment, the bane of my existance. Have had an unfortunate serious of monetary events: car needed $750 in repairs to be legal to drive at the same time that I lost my only pair of glasses and am without vision insurance, at the same time my pharmacy totally screwed up and I had to pay $400 out of pocket for a needed monthly prescription and now wait weeks for the reimbursement, etc.)

And yet, as they say in the song, "Life goes on...obleh dee, obleh dah..."



Tags: blog, brigabauble, etsy, etsy seller, http://www.brigabauble.etsy.com, ilovejolt, snow

08:52 am: FAT TUESDAY ETSY SALE!
"Eat, drink and be merry--for tomorrow you shall be fat with a hangover."

That's right folks! Fat Tuesday is here. For some of us that may mean PARTY!, for others it's the last day to decide what to forgo for Lent.

But now, Fat Tuesday can now mean the same thing to all of us: Awesome deals on original, handcrafted art, jewelry, furniture, clothes, posters, notebooks...you name it and you can find it on Etsy.

As a proud member of the Capital Region Etsy Sellers Team (CREST), I'm holding a Fat Tuesday Sale!  (As are many of my fellow team members.)

Come to BrigaBauble to purchase my handcrafted sterling silver and rose quartz 5-decade Catholic Rosary at 50% off the regular price! Or, enjoy free shipping on all earrings (all of which cost $15 or less!) and new, low-as-you-can-go prices on shipping. if you're feeling especially kind, tell a friend!

Now, eat, drink, be merry and SHOP!

Check out the range of Fat Tuesday deals being offered by CREST members.



Tags: bracelets, catholic, earrings, etsy, etsy sale, etsy seller, etsy shop, fat tuesday, free shipping, handcrafted, handmade, jewelry, lent, necklaces, rosaries, sale, semi-precious, sterling silver

03:18 pm: Back in the Day
I listened to what, at the time, labeled itself an "independent" radio station. It played the songs that didn't get played on the mainstream radio stations. It played the songs that I loved. How indy it was I've come to doubt but, that's neither here nor there.

In my recent intense searches for all of the ways that I have not been taking advantage of marketing opportunities for my Etsy shop, I came across Blockhead Radio--a truly independent radio station that you can listen to while at your desk job, while crafting, while just chillin', while just about anything you can imagine. And the music is good. (Not that I should be or am surprised by that.) And because it's on this here wonderful invention called "the Internet," when you're listening to a song, you can click on one link and get more information on the artist or click on a different link and buy the album.

This may actually cause me to purchase my first full album in more than 3 years! Especially since these are independent artists whom I can feel good about supporting.

(Oh yea, and I wouldn't be me if I didn't confess that the impetus for this post is the chance to possibly win free advertising space from Blockhead Radio. But, the contest requirements did not actually require that I post a positive comment. So, the opinions expressed in this post are truly and honestly mine.) :)

Tags: blockhead radio, etsy, etsy seller, etsy shop

11:17 am: Gettin' Some Blog Lovin'
I'm still struggling with this whole "marketing" thing when it comes to my work. I feel like I spend so much time trying to keep up with the Twittering and Facebooking and Etsy Forum posting and photo re-shooting that I'm exhausted by the time I sit down to actually make anything. And, worst of all, if it weren't for my dear old friend Wendylady I wouldn't have had any sales in the past two months--despite an incredible increase in traffic to my Etsy shop BrigaBauble (http://www.BrigaBauble.etsy.com)

Yesterday, though, a fellow Etsian wrote about me on her blog (specifically about my handcrafted sterling silver and semi-precious stone Catholic rosaries) and that made me feel much loved. Check it out: http://ckathleensummers.blogspot.com/
("hyperlink" function is not appearing here for some reason)

And today, two other Etsians posted in a forum saying they were looking for people's Etsy Minis to post on their blogs for free advertising. (An Etsy Mini is like a little gallery as an image with 4 or more pieces of your work, your shop name, and your link.)

My Etsy Mini is already up on this blog [scroll down a while, I'm on the right]: http://www.redrumroses.blogspot.com/

And, beginning the 20th will also be posted on another blog (will upload link when I have it)

Tags: blog, brigabauble, etsy, etsy shop, handcrafted jewelry, jewelry, rosaries

07:43 pm: Note to Self
Don't be "that girl" and bring up the big M on Valentine's Day.Not even as a joke.

09:13 pm: Trying, trying to network, network
Been gettin' my marketing on for my two Etsy shops. Now if only I could figure out how to convert views to purchases!

Created a Facebook business page for BrigaBauble, my handcrafted jewelry shop on Etsy.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=505252314&ref=name#/pages/BrigaBauble/53260201511?ref=nf

Now what...?

Tags: brigabauble, facebook, handcrafted, handcrafted jewelry, jewelry

10:09 pm: Cheat pharmacy $90; Pay by freezing
So, I was downright irate when I discovered that my health insurance company required a $50 deductible on top of a script that they were already forcing me to pay $50 for and it was but one of the 3 scripts I was filling today alone. (My meds with insurance run between $200 and $300 monthly depending on how willing I am to gamble with my health each month. The main reason why I laugh when naive healthy people suggest I just forgo insurance when between jobs, etc.)

So, when the guy ringing me up at the pharmacy--who'd cost me an extra 20 min of wait time because the pharmacist couldn't read his handwriting--ok maybe that was the pharmacist's bad) read $100 as $10, who was I to complain? There I am in all my sinus infection glazed glory, trying to process what's happening and suddenly I'm signing the credit receipt and bolting out the door.

I knew it was wrong. Wasn't even like I was sticking it to the man really--small overpriced D.C., pharmacy next to building of doctors so not hurting either. Hell the Catholic schooling-induced guilt set in almost instantly. But seeing as how rent is due and I barely have enough to cover it--forget other bills--I was guiltily counting my blessings.

Quickly caught Metro to my suburban Northern Virginia station--last on the line. And, despite the pounding in my head and the lead boots I feel like I'm wearing, ran to catch my county bus--which had left 4 minutes earlier. Did I mention how much this week has sucked? Especially when it comes to commuting?

Well, it has. And, my first penitence for having saved $90 was sitting in below-freezing weather for 30 minutes waiting for the bus that I'm now overheating on while I wait for it to leave the station.

And while I'm nowhere near hungry, I can't wait to get home and eat so I can take my newly prescribed Zithromax for my sinus infection.

Tags: bad health, commuting sucks, missed bus, prescriptions, sinus infection

05:49 pm: Baby Come Back
Ever since a stupid case of late-diagnosed mono, through which I somehow taught with fevers and an anorexic's eating habits, my immune system has been MIA. I get everything that comes around.

I've had flu twice this season! Now I've got a nasty cough, sinus headache that won't go away, low-grade fever, and mega exhaustion.

Commuting to and from D.C. has almost totally defeated me this week. And I blame my feelings of defeat for my general lackluster mood this week.

07:45 am: She's Crafty! Come and See!

Well, I try to be. Not in the "Beastie Boys" sense but in the jewelry-making, knitting, pillow-creating sense. And, for those of you remotely in the area, this Saturday, Nov. 15, I'll be participating in the 19th annual St. Andrew Apostle Catholic Church Holiday Gift Show and Craft Fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Silver Spring. If you're looking to buy a little sumpin' sumpin' for yourself or others, this is the place to be.

Or, of course, you can always check out my wares on Etsy... BrigaBauble for jewelry and Oh Sew Unique! for personal pillows with personality and some knitted pieces.

Silver Spring, Md.
Sat., Nov. 15
10-3
St. Andrew Apostle Catholic Church
11600 Kemp Mill Road
Silver Spring 20902


Tags: brigabauble

07:48 am: Huge ETSY Sale!
I and my fellow member of the Etsy CREST team are running a sale now through next Monday, Nov. 3.

We each have different promotions and whatnot but, bargains are to be had in dozens of shops covering a myriad of handcrafted items. For affordable, handcrafted jewelry, visit Briga' Bauble (shameless self-promotion) and to get a sample of all the Etsy CREST sales, simple go to Etsy and search under "etsycrestsale" Happy hunting! :)

10:25 am: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=14989981

08:37 am: Feeling Like a Failure
You know how sometimes the stars seem to align and everything in life clicks into place and you feel like you can do no wrong? Or, at the very least, while you could do wrong you're not doing so anytime soon?

Well, that's not really how I'm feeling right now.

I had to miss three-and-a-half days of work this week to the nastiest case of Strep throat I've ever personally had (and my missing work is so not a good thing). When someone on my team is out sick, you see, it falls to me to ensure that the person's work is still done ontime. Apparently, when I'm out of commission with a 101 degree fever, it also falls on me to ensure that my work gets done -- basically managing the process from afar. Did I mention that I was also taking some nasty heavy painkillers for my throat at the same time?

Then there was my excitement over having secured a spot in both the "gift showcase" and "jewelry showcase" on Etsy for yesterday--the Saturday before Mother's Day. I sincerely hoped (and maybe even made the mistake of believing) that having a picture of one piece of my jewelry in each of these showcases (for which, of course, I paid), might mean selling a piece or two. I chose to have a different piece featured in each showcase, going with "Juliana Hatfield Celery" for the gift showcase and "Sunny Days Chasing the Clouds Away" for the jewelry showcase--both chokers but of fairly different styles.

And while I did double to triple the number of views on those two pieces, and a couple of others, none of those views converted into sales. And I'm stuck wondering how to make that connection, how to take the next step, how to convert views to purchases.

Certainly not a new issue for anyone trying to sell their handcrafted wares but one for which I lack the patience and fortitude. So, should anyone have any useful tips, I'm open to them (even if they are: give up, your stuff sucks!) lol

Tags: brigabauble, jewelry, work woes

05:42 pm: How I Stay Sane

09:35 pm: Creative Creative Outlet

Is it sad that my only creative outlet of late has come from writing three PowerPoint slides targeted toward students who are also traveling gymnasts and writing ebay descriptions for my and Adam's still nascent ebay "business?" My latest pride and joy comes from my 25th Anniversary Care Bear Collector's Edition Tenderheart Bear description: http://myworld.ebay.com/haphazardtreasures.

05:04 pm: They're dropping like flies

Got an email today from an old friend who became, for an extremely brief period of time, a new "mistake," and for a slightly longer time some form of a true friend again, stating that with me he made one of the 5 biggest mistakes of his life (guaranteed to put a smile on anyone's face) and that we probably coulda been friends for decades but, instead, we can't speak...probably ever again.

I hate to admit it but, that email made me very, very sad. It came from a guy I would have been proud to consider a friend for the remaining decades in my life. And, not having actually communicated since a "merry xmas" text, wasn't like I had any real reason to think we were gonna remain friends. Still, it feels like friends are dropping like flies these days and this is one of those friendships that I will truly regret having lost.

04:11 pm: THAT family member

It may be arrogant or merely Polyanna but, I honestly never thought that anyone within my nuclear family would stop talking to another member. After all, my parents are currently (and happily) planning their 40th wedding anniversary trip to Ireland, I'm a major part of my nephews' lives (or at least I try to be), and...there are only 4 of us! 

But, it's now been (I think) two weeks since my sister has been willing to communicate with me via any means of communication other than email. And even then, the emails are polite but to-the-point and without any "unnecessary" fluff like "I love you" at the end.

And, my nephews are suddenly booked thru to February 10, despite my having asked repeatedly to be considered when plans were being made. Plus, I've been informed that, despite having saved up the last two years to fly my nearly 10-year-old nephew to Prague to visit me, this year they have decided to take a "family vacation." But, if I'm interested, I might be able to schedule something for the summer (the busiest time for my department, when vacations are all but forbidden).

Perhaps for me the saddest part is that I honestly don't know exactly why I'm receiving the silent treatment. A fundamental difference between me and my big sis is that I am quick to anger and quick to get the fuck over it, while she may be slower to anger (tho not that damn slow), she's a turtle at moving on. 

So, having extended an invitation for lunch/coffee and a chat two weeks ago and being told (via email or text message) that she's "not ready yet" I'm stuck trying to get visitation rights via email. At the very least, secure in the knowledge that "my" boys love me, their coolest aunt.