The Low-Down

Here's the low-down...

#1 -- PROJECT GIGANTIC JEWELRY FEST

Somehow or another I have managed to turn out about 200 pieces this weekend. WHEW! I have crafted, created, and handiworked myself just about over the edge. Thanks to the new-found entrepreneurial talents of my sister, my inventory was taken down to the zilch category, leaving me with NOTHING for my craft shows that are coming up oh-so-shortly. So, somehow or another I was needing to get on the ball and restock....MISSION COMPLETE. This is what my kitchen table looked like at one point during my spree of pendant mania.....

I did come up with some super-cute new monograms....

And some super-cute picture pendants (could just be the kids....hmmmmmmm....)....

#2 -- PROJECT SLIPCOVER

My kids have totally destroyed my couch. We have this nifty window in our living room wall that peers into the hall, and my couch is centered under the window. All this creates is a fantastic climbing course. Apparently that is the best (and most fun) way to get from the living room to the rest of the house...who knew? Anyway, with all the climbing, they have managed to completely rip apart the top of my couch....grrrrrrrrrrr.

Maybe it was the company coming, but I decided that I was going to sew it up and fix it. HA! What a joke. I just went and bought a slip cover, and I really like it. I'm going to show you a picture, but you are going to have to excuse the wrinkles....haven't dragged out the steamer yet!

#3 -- PROJECT FIND NEW HAIRDRESSER

I have needed a haircut something fierce. I have crazy hair that does a whacky flip thing. That might work out for me, if it wasn't only on one side of my head. I also have a HUGE amount of hair, so it gets insanely heavy and, well, there is just too much to do anything with. So, long story short, it was definitely time to get something done about the moppage. I picked up the phone to call my beautician and then remembered that she had moved. Oh yah! So, thus began the mad search for the new one who will tame the mane. FOUND ONE! She did a really good job, I think. Of course, she just did it today and I haven't tried to fix it myself....that is always the true test. So, ask me again tomorrow!! This is a pretty scary self-photo (notice the bags under my eyes, smudgy mascara, and worn-off makeup....oh well...).

#4 -- PROJECT CLEAN MY HOUSE

The mother ship is landing at my house the day after tomorrow, and I'm trying to get everything all spiffed up (hence the slipcover). So when I haven't been knee deep in neck attire creativity and slip-covering my couch, I've been trying to do the clean-up routine. Happy to say that I'm all done except for one bathroom and some laundry....not too shabby.

#5 -- PROJECT GET REALLY EXCITED THAT GAS IS $1.71 HERE

This one makes me giddy!

#6 -- PROJECT GET REALLY EXCITED THAT MY FRIEND IS HAVING A GIRL!!!

One of my besties, R, has been blessed with huge amounts of testosterone like me. Only she received an extra helping. She has 4 boys and just found out recently that she is pregnant. WHOA NELLY!!! She called today to tell me that it is a little girly!! Oh so excited!! I tend to live vicariously through my friends' hairbows and tea parties......

#7 -- PROJECT WATCHED LOTS OF FRIENDS

I just mentioned that I've been spending a lot of time watching my favorite show....tonight I did it. I finished them off. Season 10 was just placed delicately back in its case to await my next marathon of madness. Did I mention that I love that show? I cried just as hard through this go-round of the finale as I did the first time I saw it.....so good.

#8 -- PROJECT MISS MY FELLAS

I love those guys. :(

#9 -- PROJECT TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHY MY MANTLE FELL OFF THE WALL

Yah...you read right. I walked in the house tonight to find my mantle laying in the floor. It had fallen off of the fireplace. So weird. Kirk had just built me this new one (so beautiful) and hung it up maybe a month ago. Not sure what happened....I'm guessing he didn't hang it up right or something, but I am so not going to blame him. I'm going to blame it on wild chipmunks...that's safer. (Love you, honey!!)

#10 -- PROJECT DEFEND MYSELF AND ALL OTHER "OLD" PEOPLE WHO ARE ON FACEBOOK

I was told today that I'm too old to be on FaceBook. I was informed of this by a teenager who has over 1,000 FB friends, but chooses them by typing in a name that she likes in the search box and then looks through the pictures. If she thinks that they are "cute" or "cool" then she adds them as her friend.... If that is what FaceBook is about, then maybe I am too old. Personally, I think that girl is C-R-A-Z-Y! Us old people got our own thing going on over there...I'll keep our way.

Nola Mae

So, I'm official. Some of Nola Mae is finally in the hands (or should I say, around the necks) of other people, so I guess I'm ready to unveil them online. Here you go.....sneak peek!

These are just a few of the pieces I've done. Right now, I'm making these style pendants and ribbon chains. I've got a couple of ideas up my sleeve that I also want to try. We'll see!

These pictures seem a little blurry....hopefully you can get an idea of what they look like though.....I'll work on my photography skills!! :)

Finally....

So I apparently freaked a few of you out by my post yesterday. I'm better now, but thank you so much for all your sweet comments and notes, emails and calls. I'm good....nothing a good cry couldn't cure.

I'll also give props to my sweet husband for making me feel better. As most of you know, he usually leans way to the side of sarcastic and "toughen-up," but last night, when I was knee deep in the middle of my funk, he came to the rescue. There should be a national holiday set aside for sweet husbands. I'd buy mine something manly....like a power tool.

Anyway....many of you have also asked if I have FINALLY thought of a name for my little business thing I got going on. And the answer is.....drum roll, please.....

YES!

Your ideas, I want you to know, were all written down and carefully scrutinized, even Meredith's "Chunky Monkey" went on the list! :) I also got online and searched through lists and lists of names and foreign words. I clicked through endless pages of online dictionaries and thesauruses. And, then it came to me......

I will say, very sadly, that I didn't choose any name that was given to me. I also didn't choose a name that I found online (although I did almost have a word picked out, but after I couldn't remember how to spell it, I decided that it probably wasn't a good choice!).

I was sitting around a couple of days ago, thinking about my grandma (my sweet Nanny who passed away last year) and it hit me. My Nanny loved jewelry. So much. She also loved us and thought that anything her grandkids did was straight from Heaven. I know, without a doubt, that she would have worn my pieces, and that she would have been my #1 PR person. She would have made sure that the entire clan of Edwards' women also owned a piece of my jewelry (you know it is true, Dad and Aunt Jo!). So, this is what I came up with....

Nola Mae

That's my sweet Nanny's name. So, in honor of her and her amazing dedication to her family and everything that we have ever pursued....she gets to be the name of my new little business.

I think she would be very excited about it, too! I can almost see her on the phone now calling EVERYONE in that little address book of hers just to tell them.

This is my Nanny with me, my sister Michele, and my cousin Richard a couple of years ago. Isn't she sweet?!

So, now that I have a name, and I almost have my pieces ready to "unveil," look for them in the next couple of days.....

I'm excited to share Nola Mae with you!

By the way....I had mentioned that if I chose your name I would send you one of my pieces. Since I didn't choose one of yours, but I still like to give away free stuff.....I came up with a little random draw thing. The winner is....another drum roll, please......Jennifer! (Jenn, I'll get with you by email about the specifics!) Thanks for all your help, again. I appreciate it 100%!

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You

Thank you so much for all your amazing ideas for my new little sha-bang I'm working on. I've made a list of all my possibilities and I've been mulling it all over. I'm beginning to narrow it down some, but I'm having a tough time. Choosing a name is big stuff. It feels so final to me, because once I choose something then I'm stuck with it. So, I really want to make it good. Keep sending me ideas though...I'm loving it! (I'm actually more stressed over naming this little business venture than I ever was in naming our children...crazy.)

Need Your Creative Talents....PLEASE!

I need your help.

A couple of posts ago, I mentioned that I was embarking on a little project adventure. I still don't feel like I'm ready to do a big "reveal," because I really want to have some of the details nailed down before I make a huge presentation.

One of the details that I can't iron out,though, is a name for my new little business that I'm creating. I want something catchy, but I don't want it to involve my name or the names of my kids. And I don't want anything like Designs by Amber, or Amber's Creations. I really want something funky and cute. But, I'm stuck.

So....this is where you come in. Please leave me a comment with an idea. It can be nonsensical, tongue-twister-y, or more sophisticated. Whatever you can come up with....

I will give you a couple of hints, because I know it is hard to name something when you don't even know what you're naming. My creations are jewelry related, but I don't want to limit my name to jewelry (in case I ever want to branch out). Also, my style is a good mix of trendy, shabby, and classy. So...there you go.

What's in it for you? Well, you'll be helping me out!!! :) And, if I happen to choose your idea, I'll send you free stuff!!! :) Deal?

Can't wait to hear from you.