Alloy Necklace giveaway . . . .

Today I am very happy to tell you that I will be giving away a beautiful necklace from Alloy Jewelry. I recently had the pleasure of being introduced to a wonderful young mother, Leah from Vermont, who not only makes beautiful jewelry, but has a beautiful story behind what she does and why she does it. First, take a look at this lovely necklace........

This 'Listen to the Surf' necklace is hand stamped on to this 1 1/2" copper bar. The bar is hand hammered to give a rustic texture, and a sterling silver starfish charm and freshwater pearl charm finish it off. Chain length is 16".

And now, please meet Leah. . . . . 

First and foremost, the most important thing I do is take care of my children.  That being said, while I think there's a certain amount of becoming a mother that comes naturally, I think people overlook the aspects of motherhood that DON'T come naturally.   Motherhood was a shock in many ways, and making jewelry (and the myriad of other half-finished creative projects I have strewn around the house) became my daily practice of paying attention to myself, even if it was for five minutes.  I began to see that the more I took care of myself the more patience I had with my kids. I went with it, and soon people started asking if they could "commission" a piece here and there.  I opened an Etsy shop and saved and saved, buying a new piece of equipment with the money from each necklace I sold.  I sent out samples to magazines, relentlessly looked for other ways to market myself and dreamed of the day I would have my own website and be able to call this my "job".  (All this while I had been editing legal books for a former employer as my "profession" and it was just SO not me!)

Eventually, I got an edit mention in Family Circle Magazine, and boy do they have loyal readers there! It made Alloy Jewelry more visible to the public and the business took off from there. I started doing quote and zodiac pieces to make the business more attractive to retail stores since custom work is hard to stock in stores.  I found that the quote pieces were becoming an obsession for me-I have a love of reading and words.  I started to see that as I would choose a quote for a necklace, I would associate that quote with one of my dear friends-for example "be with those who help your being"-Rumi necklace is for my girl, Anne, who lights up our lives even though we are far apart.  The necklaces I made had a new meaning to me now-I wore them and could hold that friend close to my heart-AND I could connect with customers in a different way, because they would ask for suggestions and would tell me the story of who they were buying for and I could help them pick out a quote (or design a new one) that was perfect.  Fun! 

More of her lovely creations.......

"I began to see that the more I took care of myself,

the more patience I had with my kids."

-Leah

All you have to do to win is leave a comment below before 11:59 p.m. EST on May 7th. The drawing will be Tuesday, May 8th and is open to readers worldwide. Good luck!

A playful mind . . . .

As adults, we can get boxed in pretty easily. We lose spontaneity. We're always on a schedule, filling our free time with errands, and we forget to play.  When was the last time you pulled out a box of crayons? You don't have to be Picasso to create your own masterpiece! You're already capable of being creative! You've just convinced yourself that creativity is something that other people have. Not true! Stop these imaginary mental images, and change your perspective. We are all inspired by something! Focus on what it is that inspires YOU, and simply allow your imagination to go where it wants. Allowing your mind to be at play is perhaps the most effective way to stimulate creative thinking. Give yourself permission to break the rules and realize that there isn't a "right" way when it comes to creativity. You might be surprised what comes to you.....a thought, an image, a word or color that will inspire your next move to a great idea, and recognize your ideas as worthy thoughts!  Creativity adds excitement to our lives....a richness that is very fulfilling. Allow it into your life!

"Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way."

-Edward de Bono

Hello Monday!! . . . .

Dear Monday,

Thank you for coming around the corner 

when I need you most!

You always show up at the perfect time! My  weekend was great, but I always need you to get me back on track. You inspire me!! You always give me the boost I need to get it together. 

I love and appreciate you, 

Kisses, Connie

I've got a busy start to my week, then will hop a plane to Miami for a meeting and a little R & R. My friends, I hope you find the determination, clarity, willpower, creativity , and strength that you need to make it through another week.

Here's to a beautiful week!

33 Ways to Stay Creative . . . .

1.  Make lists

2.  Carry a notebook everywhere & USE it

3.  Write

4.  Get away from the computer

5.  Pay attention

6.  Quit beating yourself up

7.  Take breaks

8.  Sing in the car

9.  Take photographs of things that inspire you

10. Know your roots

11. Listen to new music

12. Be open to new ideas

13. Surround yourself with creative people

14. Get feedback with an open mind

15. Collaborate

16. Don't give up

17. Practice, practice, practice

18. Allow yourself to make mistakes

19. Go somewhere new

20. Watch foreign films

21. Count your blessings

22. Get lots of rest

23. Take risks

24. Break the rules

25. Do more of what makes you happy

26. Don't force it

27. Learn a new word every day

28. Create a framework

29. Stop trying to be someone else's perfection

30. Got an idea? Write it down

31. Clean your workspace

32. Have fun

33. Finish something