a winner.

Thanks for all who participated in my giveaway. I just chose the winner via random.org, and she is ::

1. 

   JoJan 19, 2013, 8:22:00 PM

   Following your blog ! I love the maroon and metallic gold one :)

2. Congrats Jo! Please email me at prettythingsbymeg@gmail.com with your postal address. 

I also wanted to share a couple of new pretties that I added to the shop over the weekend :)

Sophia necklace | Branch earrings 

Hope you all are having a great start to the week! This is a big one for us.. Joel flies out on Wednesday for his first final, on-campus interview. And then he has two more in other parts of the country within the same week. Yea, pretty intense. Your thoughts and prayers would be greatly appreciated!

A GIVEAWAY!

Hello, lovelies. As a token of my appreciation for reading this 'lil 'ol blog (and because I just realized that December 17 marked the four-year anniversary of when I started it - whaaaa?!), I thought I would give away one of my new geometric ribbon necklaces.

All you have to do to enter is be a follower of my blog, and leave a comment telling me which color is your fave.

For additional entries :: like my page on Facebook (+1), tweet about the giveaway (please mention @prettiesbymeg in your tweet) (+2) or blog about the giveaway (+2). Please leave a separate comment for each.

Giveaway is open to U.S. and international readers. You have until Sunday, January 27th to enter.
Want one now?? Use coupon code PRETTIES15 to save 15% off your order!

Thanks, friends, for all of your support! I am truly thankful for the life-giving friendships I've developed all because of this little space. It's pretty awesome.

Here's to blogging more consistently in 2013 & to deepening those friendships :)

new in the shop!

This coming year, I hope to dive back into my Etsy shop. By the end of 2011, I was feeling burned out and ready for some "me" time. It felt like every bit of my spare time was spent either working on my business or feeling guilty for not working on my business. So, as you may have noticed, I stepped back quite a bit last year, for much longer than I intended. Now I'm ready to get back into it (as much as working a day job & preparing to move (potentially cross-country) will allow). I really have missed it.

Last month, I was so excited to introduce my geometric ribbon necklaces. This past weekend, I added a couple more necklaces that I really love. These are great everyday necklaces that go with everything. I have been wearing my pine cone necklace pretty much everyday.  

pinee cone necklace | branch necklace

Oh, and right now you can save 20% off with coupon code HAPPYNEWYEAR. Those are some pretty significant savings. I will be adding new earrings within the coming weeks!

New necklace line {finally} here!

This is a loooong time coming. So happy to finally introduce a new line of necklaces to my Etsy shop, just {barely} in time for Christmas! They are made with wooden beads that are hand painted on alternating sides, and strung with beautiful silk ribbon. They're available in three different color combos, as shown below. You can find them here.

There is a limited quantity available right now, so you better be quick! They would make a beautiful Christmas gift, and will arrive in a gift box tied with a lovely lace ribbon. Place your order by the 14th to guarantee shipping in time for Christmas (or U.S. customers). There is always the option of upgrading shipping for an additional cost - just message me on Etsy.

Thank you all so very much for your support! I will be adding more new pretties to my shop in the coming weeks! :)

{FREE SHIPPING + new pretties}

just because i feel like it (well that & i'm saving up for an iPhone, finally :D),
i'm offering free shipping on all orders placed through sunday in my 'lil shop.
now is the perfect time to get a jump start on your Christmas shopping!

there are a few new pretties to choose from and more to come late in the week.

{1} | {2} | {3}

jkhkh

goin' wholesale.

this has just been a wonderful week, full of splendid surprises. life is good.


since my sale has begun on sunday, i have already made 8 sales!! woohoo! maybe i should do this sale thing more often!


i'm also happy to announce that my jewelry will soon be available outside of the digital world... over the weekend i will be working on a large order to be sent to a boutique called mad eagle in east lansing!!! i have never been there before, but have heard pretty awesome things about it. i'm pretty pumped to have my jewelry in a real live shop :) especially one as sweet as this.

so that is all for now. i will be back very soon, i'm sure. there seem to be a lot of exciting things taking place right now, in various realms of my life.


God is GOOD!!!

a plethora of things.

i love using the word 'plethora'. it rolls off the tongue like butta.


first thing i'd like to mention:

i was awarded my very first blog award yesterday :)



it came from the lovely duchess of tea. her blog is called rose tea cottage, "where tea is served at half past four." the duchess is a brit (if you didn't guess) who loves anything and everything british, from the cottages to castles, gardens to the countryside. i love reading her blog (and looking at her lovely photos) because it is, well, lovely and because it causes me to reminisce about when i lived in london for a semester during college :)






in other news, I'VE JOINED TWITTER! i really resisted for quite some time now because i didn't want to get entangled in another social networking site, but it is another free advertising opportunity, after all. i actually quite like it; its simplicity is refreshing. and plus, i can follow celebrities like zooey deschanel (my female crush) along with my favorite radio talk shows like on point. i'm not quite as interesting, but you should still follow me :)


i have just in the last couple of days begun my search for a new place to live (eeeeee!), and today i found a flat in downtown rochester, literally around the corner from where i work. i peeked inside the windows and it looks just perfect for us. the kitchen is pretty teeny, but i can deal. it has a SUNROOM! now i know this can only be enjoyed for like 4 months out of the year since winter lasts most of the year here (i want to start crying when i think about it), but still. during that time, it can be my jewelry-creating space :D i've yet to have one of those (my "space" right now is the end table in our bedroom -- not cool).



hopefully we will be able to snag this cutie up before anyone else gets the chance.. i am already praying hard!!


hmmm, what else.... oh yes, my hubby joel has a big interview tomorrow at OU, and it would be awesome if you could say a little prayer for him :) it would be an amazing opportunity for him.


and, lastly, i might as well throw in some pics of some new jewelry i made over the weekend :)

florence bracelet:



amber earrings:



plum earrings:



venetian necklace:

home sweet home.

i had a very full week. actually, my weeks have frequently been very full as of late. tuesday thru wednesday i went on my very first business trip! i went to nashville with a couple of co-workers to scout out the hotel we are hosting out next convention [in october] and it is GORGEOUS! it's called the hutton.. i'm pretty pumped to stay there for FREE! i'm hoping joel will be able to come because i found out that his dad lives only 30-some miles north of nashville, so we could go pay him a visit. it would be the first time i've ever met him and the first time in years that joel's seen him.

thursday thru just a little while ago, i was in mt. pleasant [where i went to college] for the midwest fest. goodnight house played thursday night and camerata played friday night. so, so, SO much fun!!! i think that's the best time i've ever had playing with camerata. it was fun re-living the college life again for a few days, a.k.a. going out every night and staying up well past 2 AM (one night i even made it till 5!!). but it is also nice to be home... although i am very, VERY ready for a new home consisting solely of me, my hubbs, and my maggers.

soon enough.

some exciting news -- joel has an interview with oakland university for an academic advisor position on august 5. PLEASE send your prayers his way.. this would be an AMAZING opportunity, and it would change everything for us. it is hard to even fathom having money left over after all of the bills are paid.. we could actually start paying off our ridiculous amount of debt!! even if he doesn't get this job or the other one he is applying for, he will definitely have an assistantship that will pay for his Ph.D and provide a stipend. praise God!!

with all that's been going on, it's been hard to find any time to create. i did make a few pair of earrings that i really adore. i think they're my new favorite to make.


agua earrings.





pretty in pink (and green).






i recently made a necklace (which sold instantly!) that matches the above pair of earrings.


lolita necklace.





i will be making more of these very soon :) hopefully, next weekend since i will finally have some free time! :D


have a wonderful week!

Beads from Nederland

I am super excited right now because I finally got my shipment of beads from the Netherlands that I ordered probably 4 years ago. Uh, I mean 4 weeks ago. You see how long it has seemed to me!! I felt like a kid on Christmas day opening that package. I relished over each little bag of beads, and I was so sad when I had reached the bottom of the box. They are all super fun and unique beads - I am so pumped to start CREATING with them! My Etsy shop's repertoire is going to blow up in the coming week. And there will be all sorts of textures and colors, ranging from bright orange to soft grey. Yayayayayay

I added some new pretties today with beads I already had lying around:








Also, I made my first necklace, as a custom order for my lovely co-worker Judy :)




I haven't written on here in awhile, have I? Well that is partially because we actually have gotten quite busy at work lately. (And, remember, work is the only place where I update my blog and my Etsy Shop.) Last week, there were a few days that I actually worked the ENTIRE time I was at work (imagine that). That had not happened in a very long time. I had forgotten how I feel at the end of the day when I've actually been using my brain for 8 hours straight -- worn out! Especially when I had babysat in the morning prior to work. Wow, did I get exhausted last week! Haha, I have become quite spoiled at this job, that is for sure.

Joel and I had a very lovely Valentine's Day together :) First of all, Joel brought me a dozen red roses and I was just beaming because I love, love, LOVE getting flowers. I love flowers in general. Check 'em out.





They look just perfect in the textured white vase we got as a wedding gift :)


In celebration of Valentine's Day/the day we got engaged two years ago, we got dinner at P.F. Chang's for FREE thanks to my amazing siter, who got us a gift card for Christmas. So we did that and I wore my favorite dress and it was a splendid time. When we were waiting in line to get seated, the lady in front of us asked how long the wait was, and the hostess said it would be about 5 hours, 15 minutes!!! Boy am I glad I made a reservation over a week in advance! After dinner, we cuddled up and watched a movie at home and ate chocolate-covered strawberries that I made for us :) Mmmmmm. It was perfect. Just what I needed.


This weekend Joel and I are going to Mt. Pleasant TOGETHER!! Usually I am not able to go with him for one reason or another. This is the first time we'll be spending the night in Mt. P together since we've been married. Crazy. I finally get to play another show with Goodnight House. Actually I will be playing at the next 4 shows I believe :D, two of which will be LOCAL! Yay!

Joel has been super busy lately, preparing to take the GRE (this Saturday) and meeting with professors regarding Oakland's counseling psychology PhD program, which he will be applying to next weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!! Man am I proud of that guy. I've had fun quizzing him on all the big words he has to learn for the GRE (I think there are 500 of them!) I like words. There are some really beautiful words in the English language.; they're just not used very often.

Well, I think that's enough for now. I'm not sure if anyone really even reads this, but at least I have it for myself, if I ever want to reminisce about the days of old...

More Pretties for Your Ears

I added FOUR new pairs of earrings earlier tonight on my Etsy shop :) I don't know how I'd find time to keep up my shop, or this blog for that matter, without all the downtime I have here at work!!! Here's a little peak at my latest creations:






I was able to make/photograph all of these today, while still finding time to whip up some delicious shrimp scampi for Joel and me :)



We have dinner-like meals for lunch, since I am at work for actual dinnertime, and I just cannot bear not sharing a meal with/cooking for my husband on a daily basis. Double negatives, ick.


Tomorrow is my day off - YESSS. It will not be a day of relaxation, however. I have plenty to do to prepare for my mom-in-law and bro-in-law's visit this weekend :D They are staying Friday & Saturday night. It will be the first time Connie has stayed at our house since we've been married! I'm really excited to have them over. I'm going to make a special dinner/dessert for Connie on Saturday to celebrate her recent birthday :) Fun fun. I'm not sure what the plans are for the weekend, but I'm sure we'll find some fun things to do. Maybe even outside, considering it's going to be in the FORTIES!!! Thanks you JESUS!

Yay for Etsy!

I had my first Etsy sale a couple days ago!!! :D The earrings in my previous post were sold to a Megan in Boston. (Funny, that is a place I would very much like to live). I have posted many a more pair since my last post, so take a look and tell your friends!! Check out my latest creation:



I have also been knitting lately, thanks to a little help from Maggie, who I am lucky enough to work with. We get paid for knitting, talking and giggling... it is pretty awesome. I finished a little coaster at work last night :)



I am also in the midst of trying to pick up crocheting. I bought a crochet pattern for a super adorable hat from my friend Lindsey in Chicago from her Etsy page and tried starting on it earlier tonight, rather unsuccessfully. I did get through round one, which leaves only 20 to go. Does anyone reading this that lives within a reasonable distance know how to crochet? If so, PLEASE HELP! I'm afraid the YouTube videos aren't quite cutting it!

Other than that, I've been cooking lots of yummy food, like this homemade potato chowder:



What else is going on... WELL, I suppose this is worthy of note:

Goodnight House's album is now on iTunes!!! How awesome is that!!

In other things that have to do with my husband -- we were talking about the process of him pursuing his PhD the other night, and I became a bit disheartened. I'll admit, it was only for selfish reasons. From this discussion, I concluded that:

a) We will continue to struggle financially for FOUR to FIVE (SIX?) years,
b)I will continue to be the main bread winner for four to five years, and
c) We will not have children until probably at least five years from now because I want to stay home with my children at least for the first few years and no stipend is going to support the two of us AND a child.

I am all about him going for it; I just wish it didn't take so darn long!! I feel bad for complaining; I really am proud of his ambition, and I want him to be able to pursue his aspiration of being a college professor. He is hoping to get an assistantship - that way his schooling will be paid for (which means NO MORE STUDENT LOANS), and he will get a stipend for living expenses (cause Lord knows my income does not cover our living expenses). So I am praying that that will work out. If he gets in to the program at OU and decides to accept, he will be starting next fall. Otherwise, he will apply to more schools in December and start the following fall (and we would mostly like be moving).

Well I think that is plenty enough for now. I will try to update more often. Peace.