Birthday Sale...

Hello All!

In celebration of my birthday week, I'm having a sale in my etsy boutique. Take 25% off all jewels from now until 12/1/15. Use coupon code BDAY25  at checkout. Click here to purchase. New jewelry being added daily. Thank you for supporting independent artisans this holiday season!

Citrine and deer antler necklace. Only 1 available.

Brass hoops with wire wrapped pearls.

Kyanite and gunmetal chain chandelier earrings.

Hammered brass discs. Domed and super lightweight. Perfect for everyday.

Copper and cowrie shell earrings. 

Lately Summer Recap...

 Hey All! Can not believe summer is over. It is still blazing hot in the Carolinas but let's face it summer is over. School has started, it's Labor Day weekend, and the stores have replaced sandals with boots. Here is a summer recap of what I have been up to lately.

Life Changing: The above picture is my daughter's dorm room. Why didn't my dorm room look like that? As much time as we spent in and out of stores and on Pinterest this summer, her room should look like something out of a magazine. I'm so proud and excited for her. It's weird not seeing her bubbly face everyday. Move-in day was exhausting! I was too tired to cry.

Joyful: My dad received a great report from his doctor. There are no signs of lymphoma in his body. God has been so good to us!

Aha: My Aha moment this summer was, start using MyFitnessPal app. I mean it's on my phone, just enter the foods you eat and how much you exercise, and you just might lose some weight! It worked, I'm down 5.6 lbs for the month of August! I'm celebrating all accomplishments big and small!

Stop Being A Procrastinator: I'm sure you all know about Nordstrom's Anniversary sale that happens every July. Being the bargain shopper that I am, I had several cool stuff in my online cart. Went back several days later, and gone! Sold! We no longer have your size available. Ugh! This really cool drape front faux leather jacket was super cute. I guess there were lots of people who thought it was super cute.

Serene: The most serene moment of the summer was going to Kiawah Island with my BFF/sis-n-law. Just the two of us. I just love the beach. We had a great time. Sun, sand, ocean waves, cocktails, food, no kids, no husbands of course we had a great time!

Funniest: I always have a great time with my girlfriends. I must say the funniest was going out dancing for my friend Lydia's birthday. If I didn't laugh at her all night long! She danced with everyone. We laughed until we cried.

I Just Can't: My line sisters and I are reading Go Set A Watchman together, plus it just so happens to be my bookclub's pick for our next meeting. However, before I read it, I want to read To Kill A Mockingbird. I just can't finish that book. Everytime I pick it up I fall asleep.

You Made That: I made the best salad this summer. Arugula, crumbled bleu cheese, watermelon chunks, and a little vinaigrette. Amazing! Tasty!

So, what have you been up to lately?

Mother's Day Sale...

Hello All! Happy May!

May is a month filled with celebrations. Mother's Day, Graduations, Weddings, Proms, Preakness, Memorial Day, Bridal Showers, Teacher Appreciation Week, Cinco de Mayo, and my Mama's birthday. We are having a sale in our etsy boutique going on now through May 18th (my Mama's birthday). All items are 20% off the retail price. Enter coupon code MOM20 at checkout. Go here to visit our etsy shop.

Breakfast Smoothie...

Did I tell you that I love peanut butter? With chocolate, without chocolate, on a spoon, in a smoothie!
 


 I love breakfast. I love it even more when it's quick, healthy and delicious. I made a breakfast smoothie this morning. Boy was it filling. This definitely held me over until lunch. Super simple to make. Check out the recipe below.

  Breakfast Smoothie Recipe

2 frozen bananas (if you want your smoothies thick, use frozen fruit, not ice)

8oz of unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 teaspoon of raw honey

1 tablespoon of peanut butter (protein will keep you satisfied longer)

Mix all ingredients in a blender. Pour into your favorite mason jar and add a pink paper straw. I got my mason jar from Dollar Tree and the paper straws from etsy.




Slurp!

Wordless Wednesday...

Passion Planner...

Hello All!

This year I decided to get a planner. It has become too much to keep all of my stuff organized with my phone, scraps of paper, and a million sticky notes. I looked at a lot of planners such as Whitney English, Moleskin, Erin Condren, Kate Spade, etc. None of these fit the bill. I wanted a planner that gave me room to take notes, write out my to do list, has weekly and monthly calendar views, inspirational quotes, pockets, and perhaps a budget keeping section. The one that came close was Whitney English, but I could not come to grips with paying the price. I talked to my "agenda, organizer, planner pro" friend, Frances, of Just Piddlin  and she suggested Passion Planner.

Passion Planner was created by Angela Trinidad, a college student who funded Passion Planner through Kickstarter. Passion Planner is the one place for all of your thoughts. It contains motivational quotes, goal setting guide, gratitude log, appointment calendar, journal, sketchbook, weekly and daily focuses, and personal to do lists. Basically, it's everything I was looking for and more, plus it's super affordable What sold me was the goal setting guide.  However, there is an upside and downside. Downside: they received an overwhelming positive response to Passion Planner that they simply can not keep up with the demand. At this time, they are just now fulfilling December's orders. I didn't want to receive my 2015 planner in March. This leads me to the upside. You can download Passion Planner for free on their website. I downloaded my planner and went to Kinko's for binding. Total cost was $25. I love it. Take a look below. To download your Passion Planner, go here.

How do you stay organized? Do you have a planner? If so, what kind?

This is what sold me. Passion Roadmap. A step-by-step guide to mapping out your goals.

Essentials: Plenty of space for jotting down stuff. I write big so I need lots of room.

Every crafter/DIYer loves washi tape. It adds personality to your agenda. 

Joy...

"JOY is a net of love by which you can catch souls." - Mother Teresa

In 2015 I'm choosing JOY.

I made myself a pair of earrings consisting of Citrine (my birthstone), turquoise (my favorite gemstone), and a metal piece that I hand stamped with the word Joy. Take a look at my new earrings.

Have a Joy filled week!

Lately...

 Hello All! What a beautiful day it is in North Carolina today! 63 degrees and sunny in January. Can you believe it? It's days like these that make me love living in the South. Here is what I have been up to Lately...

Loving: My aloe vera plant pictured above. I got it the end of 2014, re-potted it, and it's still living. You have no idea how many plants I have killed. I love houseplants, but I totally do not have a green thumb. Seriously!

Listening To: Our dog, Bella, snoring. She has the best naps!

Reading: The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League by Jeff Hobbs.  I'm reading it for my bookclub. Spoiler Alert: From the title you pretty much know what happens to this young man. I just started so I can't form an opinion on it. I just finished reading The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh.  This book was selected by my Sorority Sister, Quinetta, for her summer reading. So glad I "copied" her. It is a gem!

Thinking About: The to-do list that I made this morning. Why do I bother making lists, because 95% of it, won't get done. I'm easily distracted, I can't stop checking Instagram, or looking at Facebook or looking at Twitter because that's where I get my news, and lastly looking at Pinterest at all of the creative people asking myself "Why didn't I think of that?" Then I answer myself thinking it's because you are so busy wondering what everyone else is doing! ha!

Thankful For: The acceptance letters that our daughter, Blake, has been getting from colleges. She has heard from 4, we are still waiting for the last 3. Her hard work is paying off.

Looking Forward To: Completing unfinished projects from 2014. Gulp! See Thinking About and you can guess why they aren't done. First project is to complete my Vision Board.


So... what have you been up to Lately?

Valentine's Day Wedding...

Happy 2015 All! This is my first post of the year. What an exciting post it is! I just completed and delivered my first custom order for bridesmaids and matrons of honor jewelry! My friend, Wynetta, is getting married on Valentine's Day. Working with her was a breeze. I wish all the best for Wynetta and Will. Cheers! Take a look below at the custom made earrings I designed for Wynetta's bridesmaids and matrons of honor.

Side Note:  I have also been commissioned to design jewelry for a June wedding. Yay!

Bridesmaid's Earrings. Elongated red crystal sterling silver hoops.

Matrons of Honor Earrings. Elongated raw cut Citrine quartz sterling silver hoops.

6 Bridesmaids and 2 Matrons of Honor

Best Wishes Wynetta and Will!

Birthday Sale...

Hello All!

In celebration of my birthday week, I'm having a sale in my etsy boutique. Take 25% off all jewels from now until 11/30/14. Use coupon code BDAY25  at checkout. Click here to purchase. New jewelry being added daily. Thank you for your support!

Red Coral Wire Wrapped Chain Bracelet

Orange Coral Chips Copper Hammered Hoops

Deer Antler Wire Wrapped Long Brass Chain Necklace

Turquoise Silver Feathers Earrings

Turquoise and Salmon Coral Earrings

Wordless Wednesday...

Wordless Wednesday...

$700 Sneakers Or Nah...

I'm not bashful to ask someone, "Where did you get that?" I will also ask someone what brand a pair of shoes they are wearing that has caught my eye. Last week in Winston Salem I stopped and asked a lady who made her sneakers that she was wearing. She replied in a beautiful South American accent "Givenchy." Gulp! Immediately I thought $500. Whoosh I was wrong! I googled them and they are $700. There is no room in my fashion budget for a pair of $700 sneakers. However, after some searching I found a comparable pair of Vans for $55. See below. Splurge or Steal?

$700 Givenchy Slip On Sneakers. Splurge.

$55 leather Vans. Steal!

My Workspace...

Below is a picture of yesterday's workspace. I was surrounded by all of these gorgeous baubles and beads you would think that I knocked out lots of pieces of jewelry, right? Wrong! Most of the day I just stared at my supplies, walked to the fridge, came back and stared some more at my gemstones, took the dog out, returned to my table and, yeah you got it. I'm suffering from a "designer's block."  I put together several designs all to just take them apart again. I flipped through Tumblr to get some inspiration. Read a few blogs and then my Aha Moment came! That's it!  I know exactly what I'm going to make. So I made it and sent a picture to my girlfriend, who replied "Hmm, maybe I need to see it in person." Translation: she doesn't like it.  But I love it and I will show you all a picture in tomorrow's post!

How do you get inspired? Where does your inspiration come from?


 

Lately...

Hey Y'all! Hope you all are having a great week! Let me briefly tell you what's been happening lately.

Loving:  The amethyst quartz I purchased at a recent bead show. They are gorgeous! So happy someone in California purchased the above sterling silver hoops.

Listening To: Beyonce and more Beyonce! My favorite tunes are Partition and Haunted. Daughter and I sing very loud in the car to Beyonce! I'm also listening to Frankie Beverly and Maze station on Pandora. I know one extreme to the next. When I'm feeling down it's Frankie that gets me happy. His music reminds me of the good ole days.

Reading: Gone Girl. I started this months ago and put it down. I recently picked it back up and can't put it down. The girl is psycho! I finished Defending Jacob. Will give my review in an upcoming post.

Thinking About: How sad, but excited, I will be when my daughter goes off to college next year. She's my road dawg! Everyday she has been receiving literature on different colleges/universities in the mail.

Looking Forward To: Spring! I love boots and sweater weather, but I'm ready to wear my sandals, open toe booties, and white Converse.

So what's been going on with you? Thanks to Sheila of It Girl Allure   for giving me inspiration for this post!

Independence Day Sale...

Happy 4th of July All! I hope you are having a fabulous Independence Day!

From now through July 8th, all jewels in our etsy boutique is on sale for 25% off retail price! Enter coupon code FIREWORKS25 at checkout to receive the discount. Go here to see our amazing hip jewels!

Lapis Lazuli Cowrie Shell Earrings and Red Coral Hoops

Spring Break...

Hey All! Sharing a few pics taken of our road trip to Maryland to visit my folks for Spring Break. I had not seen my parents since they dropped off my kids to me in Richmond while they were on Christmas break. It was really fast. Like "Oh hey. Kiss. Hug. Here are the kids. OK bye!" It's been almost 9 years since we moved to NC and I still miss Maryland and my family dearly. We had a great time.

Heat update: Remember yesterday when I mentioned that I would not turn on the AC?? I broke down. My thermostat said my house was 84 degrees and rising. Even the dog gave me the side eye.

View of the Inner Harbor taken from Federal Hill.

Baltimore

Um yeah. Selfie. The fitting rooms were huge in Under Armour.

I have a thing for reusable bags. Love this bag from Lululemon.

Pretty cool picture of the tiger at Washington, DC Zoo.

SO in awe of this lefty gorilla.

Met up with my college roomie at the Zoo.

Sleeping Panda. My favorite animal to see at the DC zoo!

Spring Organization Challenge...

Happy Wednesday! I came across a great Spring organization challenge on Pinterest, pictured below.  It's for 21 days. Each day you organization a small section in your home. I'm going to give this a go, starting today. I am the biggest procrastinator and my organizational skills need some major improvement. So, what do you think? Are you going to give it a try? Seems easy. Substitutions are allowed. For example, if you do not have a garage or basement/attic, then organize a spare bedroom, magazine rack, junk drawer or hallway.

Are you an awesome organizer? Please share your tips!

Source: holidaysparkle.blogspot.com via Robyn on Pinterest

Currently Craving...

Currently Craving...Mint

I'm totally digging the color mint for Spring. I love it with gray, white or gold. What color are you craving for Spring?

Source: gildandgrace.blogspot.com.au via BaubleBar on Pinterest

Source: topshop.tumblr.com via Tracee Ellis on Pinterest

Source: mobelpobel.blogspot.com via BaubleBar on Pinterest

Source: fashion-for-beginners.tumblr.com via Robyn on Pinterest

Source: repinly.machsrichtig.com via Robyn on Pinterest

All pictures via Pinterest.

February ReCap...

So long February. Hello March! Looking forward to the start of  my second favorite season, Spring. My first is Autumn. I hope you all have a fabulous weekend and start March off with a bang! I'm getting together with my neighbor for some mango margaritas. Below are a few February pictures. Follow me on Instagram @sydneyaustindesigns

The Baltimore Ravens won the Superbowl! If you really know, you know I love my Ravens!

Cupcakes made by my daughter.

Valentine flowers my teenage daughter received from... a boy. Both grandfathers nearly died! I got texts, phone calls, warnings, "not my grandbaby", and "keep an eye on him." Dude, relax!

New geode pendant chain necklace. Love it! Available in my etsy shop.

Something totally new. My first attempt at a hand bracelet. Pleased. Very bohemian.