Inspire and create

So I think this is the third attempt at blogging. Maybe this will be my new year's resolution: to actually keep up and maintain a blog. :p I think part of the problem is that I always seem to lose my password but I wrote it down this time and I'll keep my fingers cross.

I guess all in all this last year has been yet another stressful, roller coaster ride of events for us. We spent most of it doing pretty well financially and then welcomed the new year jobless yet again. I've attempted to find work also, but with 4 classes this semester, its going to be tough if I end up being the one with a job. Jimmy's supposed to finally start school -- which I consider to be a 15-month-blessing -- and by next year, we'll hopefully have everything settled down for a while. We had a decent holiday -- my parents generously helped us pay for a vacation to the Philippines. The upside is that they have the house there so we didn't have to pay for accomodations or food. The downside is that we came home to no money and no job. Jimmy enjoyed himself as this was his first trip anywhere outside of America (he doesn't count Mexico since its 20 minutes away) and the generous monetary gifts we received at our "re-marriage" helped make sure we could thoroughly enjoy our 3 week break from reality.

Since I have what amounts to a month long break from school, I picked up jewelry making again. I closed my old Etsy shop, Hip 2B Square, and reopened it as Hip Lobes ATBP. The "ATBP" stands for "at iba pa" in Tagalog. Kind of a colloquial phrase meaning, "and other things." I'm trying to get beyond making earrings and have begun really expanding my design into more necklaces and bracelets. I've also been trying to "use up" all of the beads and findings I've accumulated over the last year from the countless bead fairs I've been to since we got back to San Diego. Basically, I need to sell everything in order to break even. Running one's own jewelry business requires a lot of time and upfront investment and I need to begin really trying to get my returns on those investments. Only time will tell in the long run, however.

One of the items I like the most is the pendant I created on accident. It was actually meant to be earrings, but I thought it would make a sweet little necklace so it saved me the trouble of making a matching one! I'd been thinking about how I could "string" the rose for a while, and since I'd gotten pretty good at making wire wrapped loops, I figured I could attach a briolette to it and call it good. I think it turned out pretty nice.

Its definitely something I would wear, which, I've learned is the most important part of design. It was foolish of me to make things I myself didn't believe in 100%...