Lifelong Learning

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This past month, my family and I hosted a student from Turkey in our home. :) It was a wonderful experience and kept us quite busy! Lots of great memories and awesome conversations. She has moved on now, and we are doing the same, but it is amazing what a month spent with someone from a different family and culture does for your own personal growth. I feel so blessed to have made such a dear, new, lifelong friend (she really became a part of our family) and to understand more about people in general.

The Lord blesses us with things like this that shape and change us and help us grow. Right now, I have the opportunity to begin the new month and a new chapter in life at the same time and I am excited to do so with all that I have learned. One thing I have learned is how important it is to stay focused on what God has for me right now: my shop, my family and friends, and following Him no matter what.

Just want to take a moment to point out the fact that we learn all our lives...sometimes, we learn through Turks and sometimes we learn through Coursera and sometimes we learn through Fill-the-Silence. (Came across those two sites in the last 24 hours and they both were quickly bookmarked.) Appreciate any and every opportunity you have to learn without spending any money. :)

8.23.13

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Thank goodness it's Friday... :)

I have NOTHING today, that's how tired I am. I'll be back to normal next week, y'all, just bear with me. Internet has been extremely unreliable recently, but a nerd is coming to check it out for me on Thursday. I can wait that long with choppy internet, right? Yeah? Sure? There will be gnashing of teeth...

Hope y'all have a great weekend! Here is a song and a funny pic for you.

Song

Right now...

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Hi, readers! I recognize I have been gone for a few days. The truth is, I've been swamped with work responsibilities and having a whole lot of fun with a friend from Turkey who's been staying with me and my family for the month. I have also been wrestling to stay afloat in orders. That's always a good thing, right?! In addition to being away from blogging for a while, you may have noticed that there haven't been many posts on my fb page and that I haven't listed any new pieces in quite some time. I have actually been designing and making pieces that I plan to release in a fall collection that will be coming in the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned! Thank you for your patience as I figure out the right ways to bring new products to you.

Reality check-in...I've been thinking a lot about my jewelry business and what I'm doing with it. At the moment, I feel like I'm crawling along at a snail's pace to figure out what works and what doesn't. Beyond figuring out the technical stuff like product development and manufacturing, I'm still trying to gain a clear picture of what my own brand looks like. And I'm also trying to meet with an accountant. So, this is me basically struggling in all areas of business: identity, production, finances...and it's incredibly frustrating! Any other small business owners/entrepreneurs know the feeling?

Normally, I would try to keep my struggles a secret from everyone, especially potential customers, but I want to be honest and open (isn't that part of the blogger's code?)... Right now, my business is one of the most important things in the world to me, and I'm really trying to develop a quality brand that people love and trust. It takes time to build such a thing, but you can be sure that everything I do is with that end result in mind. As the Beatles say, "It's getting better all the time" just reeaaally reeeaallly slowly...:) 

Farrago Friday 8.16.13

This week:

-I feel this way...

the fresh exchange

-This was encouraging for a beginning blogger like me...

-What a great, money-saving idea!

-Gorgeous Free Fonts from A Subtle Revelry!

-I think I want one...

-Someone finally busted the Gilmore Girls diet myth...there's just no way.

-Recipe for Burnt Butter Caramel Slice from Cook Republic

-I love the Etsy store Up In The Air Somewhere...

-Quote by Neale Donald Walsch

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-Weekend Song

DIY Iron-On "Look On the Bright Side"

Hey Everyone! Sorry I was MIA yesterday! I'm making up for it by sharing a cute and easy project with you from How About Orange. Jessica's sharing this lovely design that needs to be printed onto iron-on transfer paper, cut out, and ironed onto a bag or t-shirt! For full instructions, click here.

A song for you...

Farrago Friday 8.9.13

Hello Friday! Happy to see ya! I'm spending the weekend at the fair and eating Turkish food with friends. It's going to be delicious!

Lots of cool stuff this week...

-Creme Brulee Frozen Custard...dang. Recipe from SpoonForkBacon.

-I've really been enjoying Cup of Jo's blog series, "Motherhood Around the World." Jo interviews American moms who have transferred to a foreign country and discuss what it means to parent in their new location.

-I checked in w/ Pantone about fall...I don't really like it that there's one all-powerful season color decider company thing, but it is what it is. Still liking Emerald overall, and I'm going after Koi in my fall jewelry collection. Maybe one of these days, I'll be big enough to say, "Hey, guys, we're all wearing puce this fall!" and you'll do it.

-8 Pieces of Wisdom from Winnie The Pooh

- I am digging the casual sporty thing... The Fresh Exchange put together this about "Tomboy" style. ;)

-I enjoy stories like this...machete wielders, bouncers, cage fighters. You can't make this stuff up.

-CUTE!

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-For when your hair's frizzy...

- Chipotle Beer Shrimp Quesadillas with Spicy Guacamole from How Sweet It Is!

 -Your Friday song...

Pondering...

I've been thinking along these lines for about a week now, and then I stumbled across this quote c/o Jess Lively.

My Top 5 Destinations

Just a little peek at where I would go if I could go anywhere...

-Tanzania

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-New Zealand

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-Greece

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-England

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-Thailand

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Where would you go??

Don't forget that this is the LAST DAY of the Banana Grove Designs summer sale! 40% OFF when you use the code bgdsummer13...

Sale Reminder

I had a gorgeous weekend with my incredible grandmother and aunt. We had many friends over Sunday night to eat dinner with them, including a very special friend from Turkey, and it was honestly one of the most beautiful evenings I have ever had. I felt Christ's love in the room. :)

Don't forget that the Banana Grove Designs summer sale ends tomorrow! 40% OFF when you use the code bgdsummer13...

I have a few new things to show you real soon! Very excited! See you tomorrow!

Farrago Friday 8.2.2013

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My grandmother and my aunt just came to town! I'm so excited to spend the weekend with them! I'll be busy showing them around my haunts and introducing them to friends and having a great time. Here's wishing you a weekend filled with great times, yourself. :)

Tidbits...

- Thank you for being original with your engagement photos, cute people...

-Beautiful color, beautiful collage...from Julip Made.

-I'm really appreciating the "casual" summer thing going on right now. I like casual. It's so easy. Kendi's casual downtown raiment is quite cute!

-Ginger Basil Grapefruit Spritzer...That just sounds too unusual to not try!

-Thoroughly enjoyed this article about loving someone in the real world...

-This is about right...

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-Hilarious and true...

-Your song

DIY Seashell Candles

This DIY comes from Sincerely Kinsey and is sort of in honor of my grandmother who is coming to visit me today. :) She loves shells and I think she should definitely try this! Directions from Kinsey here.

Also, don't forget about the 40% OFF Summer Sale going on in my jewelry shop! Been really busy and a little overwhelmed lately (which is why there was no Wednesday post yesterday) My motto is...

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