I left a thankful g/f and came back and blessed fiancée!!

For the holidays, my family took us to New York for a few days in January. The trip was very fun, but the most exciting part was obviously when Riley purposed our first day.



He took me to Central Park right after we got there and took me on a horse and buggie ride, then we walked around the park talking about our plans for the week. The ice skating rink in Central Park was a must because my favorite movie was filmed there. (Serendipity). (The ice cream place was a must too!!) During the horse ride it actually snowed a tad, which was very pretty.

Then when we were nice and chilled he brought me up to these rocks over looking the rink and asked me to marry him. It was so lovely!! It actually snowed for us then too. (The only two times the whole trip it snowed) I'm so excited and blessed and happy and....thankful. As cliched and overused a saying it is...i am seriously the luckiest women in the world. I have met my prince. :)



So, the ring came with us where ever we went. She certainly liked the Empire State building. The city is so beautiful up there. If you are ever in New York City, this is a must!!



Although my hand is just a tad icky looking...how do you get hands to look nice?? Isn't the ring gorgeous??

He actually designed it!! Go figure that!! My Riley is a talented fellow. (Poop, i was going to include the image of his drawing, but he brought his sketchbook to work today) I'll show you later!



Alright folks, more about my trip later. I just couldn't hold out any longer without sharing it with you..(maybe 6 readers?) ;)

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!!

Holiday Ho-Down!!

It's been a pretty busy time right now, which is funny considering how little I'm actually working at a job these days. In the last two months i went from working 45-50 hour weeks to working less then 30 hours. Last year at this time i was consumed by work, this year I'm begging for hours. It's incredible. I know I'm obviously not the only one struggling with this, and should consider myself lucky since i still have at least one of my two jobs, but its still scary.



Regardless, i still had a VERY nice Thanksgiving. I spent it with my lovely boyfriend, and his fab family. Their TG was quite different from my own. I never had a very big family, and our "family things" never lasted very long, so this was a new experience for me.



Riley's mom gifted us with a Christmas tree at Thanksgiving, and we set up last Satuday. Isn't it pretty? We sure think so. So much, that we had a fun photo shoot that night.

Hope your having a nifty holiday season!

What I'm Reading...

To Be Free Is To Live.

It's time to admit that i have a problem.

It's time to admit that it's time to change, take action, grow up and figure myself out.

I work. A LOT. Anyone who knows me knows I'm constantly on the go, running from job to job, then sprinting home to finish my own work. To write on my own blog, make jewelry, clean house, and whatever else i seem to NEED to finish RIGHT THIS INSTANT.

I've been having a lot of anxsity attacks recenrly. Way too many, and way more then nessisary for any 24 year old. Last Wednesday, after spending the afternoon at work, telling my co-worker how understanding my boyfriend is with all of my "breakdowns", i had my final (for now...) breakdown that same night. After that, Riley and I had a VERY LONG talk about how he doesn't know how many more he can handle, how he can't keep watching me breakdown, can't keep seeing me so unhappy, and worstly, how unhealthy all of these fits were. They were taking over my life.

Jewelry making wasn't fun anymore. Everything was becoming a chore, something that HAD to be done, and not what i loved to do anymore.

He's right. I put so much pressure on myself. No matter how much i accomplish i never seem to think it's ENOUGH. Just one more....(anything). I'm the perfect example of the over worked, never pleased, American. Well, I'm done.

I'm going to take time off from pursuing my business. It's not to say i won't make jewelry anymore, because I'm going to learn how to love jewelry making again! I'm going to take time off from reading how successful (or so it seems) other artists are, and just rejoice in the fact that one day it will be me. I'm not going to have anxiety attacks on a daily basis, I'm not going to stress so much that i get sick anymore. Those days are hopefully over. (at least until it's time to REALLY start my business) I'm going to start blogging because i want to, not because i have to. I'm going to make jewelry because i love it, and because it's a brilliant creative outlet, not because i know it will sell. I'm just going to do exactly what I'm doing, but not FREAK OUT if everything isn't done. There is always tomorrow. Life is to short to take everything so seriously. Losing sleep and making myself sick everyday isn't going to help me get closer to my goal. I'm only human. I'm only one person, and i can't do everything. Not alone. Not ever.

So....goodbye to stress, to anxiety. I shall not miss thee. Hello new perspective. Hello to my once loved hobbies. Hello to friends, bookstores. And hello to you Riley, and the new, stress-free times we shall share together.

Thanks for bringing me back to reality.

To all the rejects....i present you Dan Lugo.

So, to all the rejects out there, I feel you. Not with my hands, but with my heart. - Dan Lugo.



Yeah...that LOVELY quote is from this guy ^^^.A great setiment for sure.

Besides being a good friend of mine (perhaps until he sees i posted his image on my blog), Dan plays some sweet tunes you should check out!! Myspace.com/Dan Lugo and writes a clever blog called Beta Narrative - which is precisely where i stole this quote.

Tune in for more sensitive sentiments from Dan Lugo in the future.

What I have learned...

Actually, i have learned an abundance of things. Today particularly, i am learning about being random. Or "Irregularly" is what we're calling it at work. Did you know it actually takes WAY more planning to create irregularly then it does to just create with structure. You need to not only consider the actual composition, but the shape, negative space and color as well. It is RACKING my brain, but it a wonderful wonderful way.

I can't show you quite yet what i've been working on, but for now i can show you what Riley and I have learned in the kitchen.



My wonderful boyfriend who once stated he was going to cook dinner because i was in a frenzy, had his keys in his hands, and was prepared to slip out the door unnoticed. When I came downstairs and asked him where he was going, he said he didn't know what to do in the kitchen. A couple weeks later, he and I are visiting my family and cooking with my Great Aunt Kiki. (That really should say GREAT!!! because she is one of my favorite people in the world.



She taught him how to make her infamous chicken nuggets. The Italian Way.



Don't they look perdy? Even I think so!! (how strange...)



She taught me to cook Italian Pasta Fagioli. [pasta and bean soup]

Twas a great time, and it taught us to cook some new things that aren't that expensive to make. (always a good thing!!)

I can tell you about NC in 6 images...

I returned home from North Carolina a couple of days ago, and it has been quite hard to adjust back to reality after being in a fantasy world [ie: vacation] for 13 days. My trip was definitely an interesting adventure. It was nice to get away, and i enjoyed seeing my friends. I had the best travel buddy, successfully learned how to use the NC bus and train system, and ate and drank a large abyss of wonderful goodies.



Tree.

I believe one of the biggest differences between Florida and North Carolina are the trees. NC had the most amazing trees. There was such a variety, some flowering, some waiting patiently for spring time. This tree captivated me. This tree was found on a nature hike Mel, Camilo and I took in Charlotte.



Jump.

I love this picture. I think it's one of my favorites. This image defines why my friends are so much fun.



Cupcake.

Polka Dot Bakery had THE cutest ad in this local women's newspaper. Just based on the ad alone, i was determined to visit. I was slightly disapointed in the decor of this small, somewhat hidden bakery, but honestly, you MUST visit Polka Dot if your ever in town. The cupcakes were exquisite. Very flavorful. Great presentation. Highly recommended!



Friendship.

I have an obsession with houses. Doll Houses. Cottages. I love any home in a sweet spring time color. Honestly, one of my life's goals is to find and buy the perfect "doll house". There were many in NC that came close. This house was definitely a favorite, plus it had a ledge outside it which was perfect for taking timed images. This was my favorite pose when i was in middle school. Quality pose eh?



Church.

I really wanted to take touristy images, but there weren't really any touristy places in Charlotte. There were dozens of beautiful churches though. I wanted to take pictures in front of them waving and such, but they were just to terrible. I like this perspective of the church much better.



Pizza.

Pizza is one of my favorite foods, but honestly, 80% of pizza places suck. We had pizza three times in NC. Fuel pizza had a really cute atmosphere, but the pizza itself wasn't wonderful. We ate at a yummy pizza place (I'm sorry i can't find the name right now) in South End, close to Uptown Charlotte, and i was quite impressed. On the way back from Asheville Camilo and I stopped at the CUTEST town called Black Mountain. [More about Black Mountain later] and had salad and pizza. It was absolutely delicious. The pizza above is from "My Father's Pizza" place in Black Mountain.

Antiqued Love

I am completely having jewelry withdrawals, i haven't been able to make any new items in forever and a day. This is one of the charm bracelets i recently received back from a store i was in, so it's not new. It's just "new" to my Flickr. :) Antique inspired charms dangle off of a neat [and also antique inspired] chain,

New Valentines Goodies!!

On my Etsy and website, www.cherryrunway.com, i just added a bunch of new Valentines Day goodies. Don't you have someone to show your love to? Buy her some pretty new jewels!!

I love you like i love.....Uccello Curioso

Andrea from Uccello
Curioso and I have just been chatting. I originally messaged her when i found this adorable Avocado card. My co-worker always stated that avocado's were her favorite, and thought it was so neat someone else thought so too. :)



How long have you been crafting?

1) I have been making things with my hands for ages, but the earliest memory I have of making greeting cards is in high school. Each one of my close friends and I were heading off to a different college, so at graduation I made a custom collage greeting card for each girl. I must have gotten hooked, because I have been making greeting cards ever since then.



Did you always craft in this genre?

2) Well, cardmaking has been the only craft genre where I have actually gone into selling what I create. Most of my cards are made on my trusty gocco, some even with some watercolor detailing.
I love exploring other forms of artwork and crafts, though, and have dabbled in ceramics(so therapeutic, but I find that 3D is much more challenging for me!). I also absolutely love printmaking--especially etching. Although that's stepping more into the realm of fine art, I just love the whole process of getting your hands dirty, and all the specific steps that go in to creating a finished print.



Who or what inspires you?

3) Oftentimes, I am very inspired by the everyday, sometimes even by things that others would call the mundane: restaurant tabletops, little creatures, edible things. I also pay a great deal of attention to food, as well as the change of the seasons, and the urban environment around me.


What challenges have you found while taking your craft into the business world?

4) I think my biggest personal challenge is balancing my 'real-life' job and my crafting. It is really easy for me to just get sucked in to the daily grind, and continuously push off the crafting for when I'll have 'more' time! Also, because I am not currently able to commit as much time and energy as I'd like to the card-making, it has been difficult to regularly add products to my etsy shop and properly build my brand. Oh, but when I am able to sit down and just put my ideas down and create, I completely lose myself in it!



Andrea also makes custom greeting cards, like these wonderful bridal shower cards (see above). She's also very nice, and would love to hear from you! :)

I Heart Purple.

Purple was always my favorite color as a child, that was until i discovered yellow. (But shh! don't tell Purple i said that!) Yellow has quite a competition on her hands after i finished making this necklace. The facets in these gorgeous necklace. The facets in the Amethyst rondelles are to die for!!

Cupcakes

Ugly Cupcake?? Nah!! If it tastes good, so there are no ugly cupcakes.

I'm feeling kind of down tonight. I don't feel like i have anything to feel down about, so I'd like to celebrate the life i was given. Nothing says more about celebrating life then baking, so i want to share the wonderful cupcakes i made with my friend. What started off as "just making some cupcakes" turned into a 6 hour baking fest to make cupcakes for her son and our friends and co-workers. I never realized how soothing it was to decorate cupcakes, i highly recommend it!!







I'm not quite sure how Martha isn't the size of a sumo wrestler, because her "creepy brownies" had 6 sticks of butter in them!!! They tasted wonderful, as long as your the kind of person who also eats pure sugar crystals with a spoon.



These are the cupcakes i made for my friends. I think i did a perdy dern good job for my 1st
time decorating baked goods.



All and all, it was a wonderful, and much needed, relaxing evening with good food and company. For that, i am quite thankful. :)