update on Holiday orders ...

Just wanted to let all my Christmas shoppers know that all Holiday orders have shipped. You should expect them soon! Hope all the recipients of the jewelry and dog tags are excited about their new personalized gifts.

I have been busy planning my new website! I have some great stuff in the works.

Don't forget ... Free earrings with every purchase through December 31st!

free earrings ...

Hi friends! Enjoy free earrings with every purchase from now until December 31st!!!


What are you waiting for? Go shop!!! Happy Monday.

*Please note that I am not taking Holiday orders. All orders placed will be subject to the normal 3-4 week timeframe. Thanks!

hello, again ...

Hi there! It has been too long since I have visited my blog. I have clearly been too busy to keep you updated! Here are some things that have been occupying my time {other than Kylie, family, jewelry, playgroups, etc.} ...

Planning for the baby's room! Have I told you that we are having a BOY?!? Here are some of the fabrics I have chosen to decorate the room/crib with:


I love the burnt orange/gray blue/white combo. That's what we're going for!

Getting organized to recover my daughter's {very pink/girly} carseat for the little guy in these fabrics:


What boy wouldn't want to be sitting in these ultra cool/retro fabrics?!? Love them!

The last project I will share with you today is the fabric for my advent calendar and Christmas banner for next year. I have a while to work on this one!


Can't resist the turquoise/red combo. And these fabrics {look familiar? using the rust version of the antler fabric for baby boy's room} are so dang cute! I love the combo.

That's all folks! I will share my completed projects with you once they are done. I have a few months for most of them. What projects are you working on?

rockin' out ...

I have no words. She is so cute I can barely stand it! She loves Daddy's sunglasses and she rocks them like no other. I think they may become Kylie's sunglasses if she keeps this up!


Again, this is another phone picture, so the quality is not so good :(

little old men ...

My husband got a Barnes & Noble gift card for his birthday a couple months ago and he decided to spend it on the movie UP. He is a kid at heart ... LOVES Disney and Pixar movies {I guess this is a good thing, considering these will be movies our kids will enjoy as well}! We are watching the movie right now and gosh, old men are so cute ... Especially this old dude. Fun movie, too! If you haven't seen it, you should. I love the animation. That's all. Old men are cute ... Wrinkly, white-haired cartoon old men, that is!

christmas tags ...

Another thing I got checked off my list this weekend! I made tons of Christmas tags to accent the presents. I went for more of a vintage-feel this year, with lots of red and turquoise. I LOVE that color combination. I have always incorporated lots of turquoise into my everyday decor and Christmas decorating, but I think I may add a bit more red this year. It just livens it up a little, doesn't it!?! This picture is bad because it was taken from my iphone. Yuck!

need more time? ...

We had a productive weekend around here! I now have a clean car for the first time in months! This was one of the handful of things we got one this weekend. It is amazing how much baby junk gets accumilated in all the pockets and crevaces of my car.

Point of the story is that I was able to almost completely finish the orders that were placed last week, so I will be opening my shop this week for those of you who did not have a chance to shop on Friday! All the same "guidlines" will still apply ... They are listed at the top of my Etsy shop.

What are you waiting for? Go shop!!! Oh, and happy Monday :)

today is { THE } day ...

Go shop!!! It's your ONE and ONLY day to purchase Cristina Ashley Designs jewelry for Holiday gifts. www.cristinaashleydesign.etsy.com

Happy Friday! Boy am I happy the weekend is here :)

chalk paints ...

Kylie and I did a fun "craft" today on the back patio. I found it several months ago in a Parenting magazine as an idea submitted by a mother. Here are the materials you need ...

Non-Toxic Chalk
Water
Small Paint Cans
Small Craft Paint Brushes
Baggies
Hammer or Mallet





We poured the chalk powder into the buckets, added some water, then ... Ready, set, GO!!!

a late halloween post ...

Just a couple pictures from our Halloween on Saturday. Kylie was a pumpkin fairy. She was adorable, but only made it to 3 houses before she was ready to come home. Not like she was going to eat the candy anyway! So this year, instead of trick-or-treating, we came home, sat on our porch and handed out candy to all the cute little kids. {Memories} ...

i'm still alive part 2 ...

Okaaayyy ... So I am alive, but I want to make a couple changes to the previous post! This past month has been so stinkin' busy for our family as we have moved, had company in town, lots of birthdays to celebrate, traveled to Southern California to see family, etc. Oh, and caught up on LOTS of orders! Due to this craziness, have closed my shop for the time being, until I hire some help. I was planning on having my shop open for Holiday orders, but it doesn't look like I will have the help I need in time.

I have just recently started my Christmas shopping and as I was checking things off my shopping list I felt bad that some of you had my jewelry in mind for some of your Holiday gift giving. So I had an idea ...

I will open my shop to take Holiday orders for ONE DAY and one day ONLY!!! This day will be Friday, November 6th. Yep, that's in 3 days! I will open my shop late Thursday night and it will be closed by the time I go to bed Friday night ... So act quickly! I do have some strict guidlines to follow. You may read through those below:

ALL ORDERS MUST BE PLACED ON MY ETSY SHOP!
www.cristinaashleydesign.etsy.com

* I will only be available for limited "conversation" time and emails on Etsy. Please avoid lots of special requests that will require me to respond. This may result in your purchase not being in on time!
* I do not have the resources to do RUSH orders.
* I get LOTS of emails daily about status of orders and questions. Having to respond to these only slows me down. I will not respond to these emails.
* Orders will be shipped by December 18th, unless I mention otherwise to an individual. If you will already be gone for vacation, please make a note of the mailing address in the notes section of the invoice. NOT on a seperate email or "conversation". I will send the order there instead.
* Please make sure that the entire invoice has been completed for your transaction {correct mailing address, payment completion, etc.}. Many times people forget to click the "pay now" button and think their orders is placed, when it has not been completed. Orders that are not paid on this day will not be made.

I think that's it! Sorry for all the "rules". I am hoping to avoid snags along the way that would typically slow me down during a busy time. I wish you all a wonderful Holiday season! Thanks for your continued business and support. I appreciate each one of you!

i'm still alive ...

Hi there blog friends! We are moved and still getting settle in. Feels good to be in a cozy home now. I think we've had a fire 3 times a week! We love fires, especially with this colder weather ... Yum!

Don't know if you've noticed, but I have closed down my Etsy shop for just a bit. I was getting backed up with orders and was having a hard time finding the time to get them all done. I am getting caught up ... Most orders are out by now. I have a small pile going out tomorrow and then I only have a few more to complete. Then I can enjoy my "time off" before the rush of the Holiday orders. This month is a busy month with family in town, going to Southern California, Halloween, etc. Busy and fun!

I am in the process of finding an assistant to help me with my orders from here on out. This has been a long time coming ... I want to be able to better serve my customers and give them the attention they need, and get their orders out a little quicker. Ahhh, that would be so nice!

Especially with the new baby on the way, it is important for me to spend lots of quality time with Kylie and prepare for the new little one. Be praying for the right person to come along ... I need one FAST so I can open my shop and start taking Holiday orders!!! I would really appreciate it :) XOXO

my to-do list for today ...

Totally boring post today because, well, it's going to be a boring day around here. No big plans. Nothing exciting. So, here it is:

Pack
Patch holes in walls
Dishes
Make brownies for Bible Study tonight
Stamp jewelry {only the ones that are a MUST today!}
Pack some more
Paint the patched up areas on the wall
Give Kylie a bath {giving myself one is up there, too!}
Post office
Vacuum
Pack, pack, pack
Bible Study

Get my drift? Boring day. Don't know if I will even get to it all today! Hope you have a more eventful day than us! Happy Tuesday XOXO.

new designs are here! ...

For those of you waiting on the arrival of your purchase, a HUGE heap load of packages went out this morning ... Expect them soon! Here is a peek at the new designs I keep telling you about {many of which are featuring THE new font}! These are up in the shop, so go by and visit when you get a chance.

*** On a quick {or not so quick} side note: I am absolutely LOVING the weather we have been so lucky to have. Mostly cloudy, with the sun poking it's beautiful face through every now and again. Breezy, a few raindrops here and there! Makes me want to bundle up with my baby, turn a cartoon on and sip some hot cocoa. You in???

Back to the main event ...

i'm.really.excited ...

To share MORE new designs with you this weekend! I got my new font set yesterday afternoon!!! Super cute ... Hope you agree. I have a couple {brand spanking} new things to show you. Think: Super simple {small, but perfect} Birthday of Christmas gift. Any guesses? I will share soon! Also ... Cat tag designs coming in the near future. I just need to whip up a couple designs and I will have them up in the shop soon! Happy Friday. So ready for the weekend. I am craving some quality family time.

Isn't this moving box too cute?

new designs ...

Ahhh ... We are almost there! To the weekend, that is. It's Thursday!!! I have a few new necklaces to share with you. I will have lots more to come once my super cute font {lowercase typewriter} arrives! Stay tuned ... And happy Thursday to you.

sale!!! ...

Today and tomorrow {Monday and Tuesday} enjoy free shipping on all orders placed through my Etsy shop! Order must be placed on these 2 days, then shipping will be refunded after purchase is made. Go shop! www.cristinaashleydesign.etsy.com

Happy Labor Day!!!

moving ...

In just a few weeks we will be packing up and leaving our sweet little Danville apartment and readjusting to life in a home! We were able {and blessed} to find a home that will fit our growing family and we are super duper excited for all the adventures that come along with it! All the things we have lived without ... A backyard, garage, fireplace, front yard, porch. I am ancy! I need to just take one day at a time and remember to breathe because I have less than 4 weeks to pack. Yikes! When we get settled in, I will have a little *sale* to share with you!!! Happy Friday XOXO ...

chocolate-y, powdered sugar-y, delicious ...

Muddy buddies. I made these for a Bible study gathering last night and little miss Kylie was there to help. I am usually not okay with her getting dirty and flinging things around, but yesterday ... I decided to let her be a toddler and get messy. Chocolate on her clohtes, in her hair and all over the kitchen. Oh, and she ate some, too {I think that was a given}. Of course, bath time was immediately after!

winner ...

The winner for the "surprise" necklace giveaway is ... Deilia Williams!!!

Deilia, thanks for following me on my blog, Facebook and twitter! You are too sweet. Email me the info you want on the necklace :) I will get it out to you soon!

happy friday ...

I am "taking the day off" to spend some time with my little sickie. Lots of orders will be going out next week {with the hubs being home over the weekend, I will be able to spend some "focused" time on getting jewelry done!}.

Visit me Monday to see who won this necklace! ...

ever had these kinds of days ...

You just want to be lazy and cuddle up with a blanket and watch a movie? I am having one of those weeks. I want to set aside my "chores" and not do anything ... Just be lazy with my daughter! BUT, there is far too much to get done. It was a nice thought!

ready for a surprise? ...

Brian, Kylie and I are happy to share that we are adding another little one to the family! I am pregnant! My due date is April 6th, 2010!!! Our 2 babes might share the same birthday month. I am just now starting to feel better and actually be productive with my days ... It's a great feeling! But please excuse the delay on some of these orders {it has been hard for me to find a time when I feel well enough to do jewelry}. But now that I am starting to feel better, we should be good to go!

home ...

We are back home from a fun {but tiring} weekend camping. My husband and I haven't been camping in a couple years, and have never been camping with a baby. Kylie did wonderful! We had a fun-filled weekend of crying children at 5:30am, long, lingering breakfasts and chatting around the campfire, walks, naps and smores after the kids went to bed. Yum! We're glad to be home ... Clean and well rested after a Sunday afternoon family nap!

Come visit me tomorrow for something fun!

pending orders ...

To all my sweet customers who are patiently awaiting the delivery of their orders,

I have about 15 orders that will be going out by Tuesday. I apologize if it has taken longer than my estimated time frame. Thank you so much for being patient. It has been very busy in my neck of the woods, thanks to the overwhelming amount of orders that have been place over the past few weeks!

Thanks,
Cristina

off and away {again} ...

Camping up in Sonoma with family! Be back in business Monday. Hope you all enjoy your weekend and get to spend some quality time with family and friends! XOXO

new designs ...

Here are the promised sneak peeks at the new designs. They will be up in the shop today! Come visit me and check them out :)

i'm so excited, i have to share ...

My new, beautiful logo! I have been waiting a long time to do something fun for my company. I've been doing the designing all this time ... and it shows! I had it designed by someone wonderful on Etsy. If you need any design work, I can give you her info! Check it out ...

remember this ...

I made a trip to Wal*Mart and bought a small tub for $3.50 and a bag of purple sand for $6 ... There you go! $10 for a little portable sand box. We have had some messy fun already. Kylie likes dumping the sand all over herself. It's pretty cute {and messy} ... That's what being a kid is about, right?

Make your own!

back ...

It only took me 3 days afer company left to recoup and get back into the swing of things {I haven't started back to the Facebook and Twitter yet ... I'm just not ready!}.

Thanks for yor patience on pending orders! Lots will be going out this week. I have a few new designs to share with you in a few days. One of which will be the "surprise design" ... But I wont be telling you which one it is until the end of the month!

*** New in the shop ***
I will be adding an item to my Etsy shoppe that has had frequent requests. The option to purchase a 20" ball chain to replace the standard 18" ball chain. If you would prefer the 20" chain, all you have to do is add it to your cart, along with your necklace, and you're set!

Happy Wednesday!

out ...

Hi friends! I will be out of touch for the next few days. We have company coming {again} and we will be busy around town! If you have any questions, please email me or visit my etsy page {www.cristinaashleydesign.etsy.com} where you will be able to send me a message as well. Hope everyone has a safe and happy weekend. XOXO

august promo {surprise giveaway} ...

This month I wanted to do something kind of fun. In order to have a chance to win the surprise design {it will be a new, never-before-seen, design!} you must become a fan on my Facebook page {Cristina Ashley Designs}, become a follower on Twitter {CADjewelry}, or become a follower of this blog! Do all 3 and raise your chances :) Winner will be chosen at the end of the month and will be announced on this blog! Stay tuned ...

sweet time ...

My best friend, Jenna, just left after spending 3 days with us. I think she was pretty tired at the end of the trip. She got a glimpse into our everyday life ... Mostly consisting of chasing Kylie everywhere we go! Shopping with Kylie will never be the same now that she knows how to walk. Shopping carts aren't as fun apparently! Jenna was on hand to chase her down every aisle we came across.

tilden regional park {berkeley, ca} ...

We had company this past weekend ... My sweet, best friend Jenna! On Saturday we visited Tilden and had a great time. They have lots to do ... Botanical gardens, steam train ride {only $2}, merry-go-around, hikes, etc. Enjoy a handful of photos from our day trip.

old inspiration ...

I love thumbing through magazines {as I have mentioned before} and saving clippings and articles that inspire me in some way. This evening, as my husband and I were sitting on the couch together {he was watching a movie ... dont think I was neglecting him!}, I brought out my file folder of old magazine pages and set aside some of the things that I wanted to do this summer. I wanted to share some of those with you throughout the remainder of the week! Hope you enjoy.

Out of the Parents Magazine Issue {September 2008} :

1) Fill a plastic storage container with sand and toys as a cheap alternative to a sand box. It's also easy to pack up and take to a friend's house ... Just snap the lid on and go! Cute idea. Especially for our tiny patio.
2) If you ever spot a cute-looking reusable grocery tote {pretty much every store has them now for around $1}, snag one and wrap your gift in it. It's helpful for the environment and your friend now has a bag to take to the grocery store!
3) Crush 2 pieces of non-toxic chalk and mix with 1 cup of water in a small plastic conatiner and buy a couple $.50 paint brushes from Michaels. The kids now have liquid chalk to create beautiful paintings all over the driveway and sidewalk. Let the mixture dry up and use again next time they are in a crafty mood! Very cute idea!

{picture courtesy of Google, editing courtesy of picnik}

laundry list of chores ...

Today is one of those days when there is SO much to get done. I thought I would give you a little sneak peek into my list of today's "to dos" ...

1)Vacuum and mop all floors
2)Laundry {oops, reminds me ... I think I need to re-wash the load in the washing machine!}
3)Probably 2 loads of dishwashing
4)Hang up all the clean clothes that have been piled on the couch for 2 days
5)JEWELRY ... tons of it!
6)Spend quality time with my precious {super needy recently} daughter

This list is in no particular order! I think my daughter ranks a little higher than vacuuming and mopping :)

*** Mom, want to come visit anytime soon {hint, hint} !

quality time ...

I am missing family this week. It's always hard coming home after spending time with our families. We live 6 hours away from our parents, so we don't have the every day luxury of being able to see them whenever we want. Sometimes I don't think about it and it doesn't bother me, but sometimes is does ... Hence this sappy post! Don't take for granted the little luxuries of your every day.

{auntie Stephanie who will soon be moving to Vermont}

new dog tag ...

I have a new dog tag in my Etsy shop! It's pretty cute ... Probably better suited for the larger of our furry friends. Customize it however you like! Enjoy today.

our trip ...

We're back! Kylie and I had a great time visiting family in Southern California last week. We kept busy, but took some time to relax too! It has been SO hot the past week, so of course we made a run to the pool. Hope you have kept cool too!

away ...

I am on "vacation" this week, so blogging will be far and few between. Kylie and I are visiting family in Southern California! I will share pictures when we return :)

Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

beh-bee {baby} ...

Kylie loves her baby. Adores her baby. When she is upset, just the fact that I even says the WORD, makes her belly laugh. She often will hug and kiss her baby, just like mommy and daddy do to her! Cute how they imitate.

snake park ...

A friend introduced me to this park and I love it. Most parks in our immediate area aren't suited for the little ones, but this one has a great area for the little ones and a separate are for the bigger kids {and I love the padded ground ... it makes it easier for Kylie to balance while she tries to walk}!

county fair ...

We went last night and it was fun! We grabbed some fair food for dinner, walked through all 3 petting zoo areas {we even got to play with some of them!}, Daddy won Kylie a "gog" {dog}, and took some fun pictures. Next year we will be able to go on some of the rides. I can't justify the $6/ride for a 1 year old! I just love all the colors of a fair ... It seems so vintage to me.

happy 4th ...

Sorry I haven't visited my blog in a while. Be back after the weekend :) What did you do for the 4th of July???

wake up slow ...

Except, we are out of creamer this morning! I have been loving my cup or two of coffee in the morning. But when the husband is home on the weekend, that darn creamer seems to disappear. Quickly! I guess we both enjoy our cups of coffee :)

reading ...

Kylie loves reading her books to anyone who will listen ... And she makes sure to point at everything on the page, while looking up at you, just to see if you are really paying attention! I love that she loves books. I hope it is something that she continues to enjoy throughout life. I am not a reader ... Wish I was.

for the month of july ...

Go shop at www.cristinaashleydesign.etsy.com!
{make sure to make a note that you saw this on my blog}.

contest ...

I get Parents Magazine in the mail each month. I love it ... The inspiration I get thumbing through each page. I enjoy the crafty kid's projects (although we aren't quite there yet), the creative recipes for kids' snacks, helpful tips for us Moms, etc. I created a file of all the tear-outs that I have gathered over the months. It's fun to go through them every once in a while to get inspired all over again!

My point in sharing this with you is that in one of my quiet afternoons of thumbing through my Parents magazine, I came across a contest ... THE contest. Kylie could be on the cover of the November 2009 issue!!! We submitted our photos yesterday and we are excited to see if we make it to the next round. We are not counting on anything, but it's fun to have something to look forward to. Something silly to be hopeful for :)

So ... Here is a small handful of the photos I took to submit to the magazine.

what it takes ...

To get good pictures of a 15 month old baby:

Not letting the 90* afternoon get the best of you
Food ... Lots and lots of food!
Her favorite baby doll
Allowing her to crawl around on dirty pavement and scuffing her knees up
Being an absolute nerd to get even one little smile
Not getting discouraged by the tears ... Keep trying new things

* I am working on a project that is due tomorrow! I procrastinated ... Something I am quite good at! I will share some of the pictures, along with the reason why I took on this absurd thing in the first place, tomorrow :)

father's day ...

Today, I am reminded of how thankful I am to have such wonderful fathers and a great husband. I hope all the fathers in your life felt loved and appreciated today.

We had a wonderful weekend together (my husband, myself and my daughter). Unfortunately, we don't liver near our Dads so we made the most of the weekend we had together as our "little" family.

I am so thankful for my husband and the love he has for our daughter. He is the best at getting smiles, giggles and kisses from her. He just has a way with her ... it is so fun to see.

*Kylie and I love you, Brian*

summer sale ...

To celebrate the first day of Summer, which is June 20th, we will be having a sale this Saturday and Sunday! Enjoy 10% off all orders placed those 2 days. E-mail me your order requests (cristinaashleydesigns@gmail.com) and I will send an invoice to your email inbox. There have been lots of new designs added over the past couple months, so if you haven't seen them yet, bet sure to go check them out:

www.cristinaashleydesign.etsy.com

Happy shopping!

(hint, hint ... have any overdue graduation gifts to buy, weddings coming up this summer, baby showers or wedding showers? personalized jewelry makes a great gift for any of these occasions!)

renovation ...

I am in the process of renovating my blog ... sorry for all the changes during the process! Sale coming soon :) Check back for more details within the next couple days!

I will leave you with a few pictures from our weekend at the park with family ...

get creative ...

I had a customer order this "diaper bag tag", but turned it into a Father's Day gift (key chain) by simply changing the text stamped on the tag. So simple, but such a sweet gift for Dad ... a nice reminder throughout the day of how much his little kiddos love him! Father's Day is June 21st. Order by next Thursday (June 18th) to receive it by THE big day!
Ideas for wording:
1) We Love You Daddy
with kid's names
2) Happy Fathers Day
with kid's names
3) My Daddy . My Hero
with kid's names
4) Worlds Best Dad
with kid's names
5) Father . Story-Teller . Friend . Snuggler . Hero . Encourager . My Dad

this weekend ...

Was filled with errand running (returns, father's day gift buying, groceries), cool weather, walks, laundry, eating junk food and feeding the ducks up the street. After the next few days of packing and doing last minute purchases, I will definitely be looking forward to our 4 days of relaxation in San Diego for our anniversary. It will be 4 years for us ... time has flown by! I never would have imagined the blessings we have in just 4 short years of marriage ... obviously, our daughter being the biggest of those blessings :) I hope you found some relaxation this weekend.

inspiration ...

I took this (horrible) picture with my iPhone at Anthropologie in Fashion Island when I was visiting my mom a few weeks back. I LOVED the display they did with these vintage-y jam jars. Online they have an adorable picture with these hanging from a tree branch. They have such a seaside feel to them with the blues, greens and yellows. If only I had a room to do this ... or even a tree would be nice!

learning to listen ...

Sometimes it is so hard to see something you want right in front of us and know that we can't have it. I would love to buy a house, I want to splurge on a $115 Fossil watch that I LOVE, I have a desire to buy Kylie something everywhere I go, etc ... etc ... etc. BUT, lately I have been practicing my ability to be still and listen to what God is putting on our hearts and recognize what His plans are for our life. It's hard because sometimes it's not what we necessarily thought we wanted for our life, but it's worth the sacrifice because we are choosing God's way and not our own, and with that comes His blessings.

a couple more new designs ...

I have been busy creating some new designs. Mostly dog tags lately, but I have a new necklace to introduce to you as well! Other than making jewelry, Kylie and I have been busy with swim lessons, spending time with family, planning visits to see family, and learning how to walk!

Here are the new designs ...

giveaway winner is ...

Our sixth comment on the giveaway post ... Susan D!!! Susan, email me your address and we will get this necklace in the mail :) Thanks for your comments!

Here is the giveaway necklace, once again ...

join me on facebook ...

I just joined Facebook! If any of you have an account, I would love to see you on there. Send me a message and we can keep in touch! Hope to see you soon.

can't wait ...

For summer beach days!

Sand tickling our toes, buckets and shovels, sunscreen, watermelon, searching for seashells ... yummy.

swim lessons ...

Kylie started swim lessons last week! Stinky thing is she's the youngest one in the class ... by about 8 months ... so we are kind of on our own, doing our own thing. At least it's in a stinkin' cute pool! It's like a little beach ... and the best thing is the water is like bath water.

Off to swim ...

featured on etsy ...

Cristina Ashley Designs has a "showcase" item on Etsy in the pet section for the "bad to the bone" dog tag!!! I think this will be a huge hit ... I got an order within a few hours of listing this item :) I love it!

giveaway ...

So here we go! To enter your name in the giveaway, leave a comment at the end of this post letting me know which new design is your favorite and why. Winner will be drawn on Friday :) Come back and visit to see who won so I can get your name and address!

You can view all the new designs in the previous posts or go to my shops:
www.cristinaashleydesign.etsy.com
www.cristinaashleysilver.bigcartel.com

Here is the giveaway necklace ...

more new designs ...

I have been having fun creating some new designs these past few days. I bought the supplies necessary to start soldering a few months ago and it is so fun to see how much more opportunity there is to get creative!

Here are some of the new designs ...



Come visit tomorrow for a giveaway!

found it ...

Dont they say that guys are usually the ones who cant find something that's right in front of their face? Well, this time it was me! My husband was able to find my camera cord so I could upload my pictures.

I have more new products coming, but here are a couple new necklaces! I think the "dream" one would look so cute with a child's name on it.

those days ...

Do you have those days when you can't seem to find anything you need. I am trying to be productive by adding a couple new items to my shops and I can't find my camera cord to upload the pictures. So frustrating!!!

Check back soon for a giveaway and some new necklaces :)

seasons ...

I am in the "busy" season of life right now ... if there is such thing! With business being a little slow right now (thanks to the stinky economy) I have been focusing a lot of my attention on completely re-organizing my home and devoting lots of time to Kylie. She just turned one so she is experiencing lots of new opportunities! She finds everything fascinating, she is almost ready to walk, we are about to start swim lessons, she loves to dance and listen to music ... eager to learn in every area and I am loving the attention she is craving. Except when I am trying to get one last load of laundry done or empty the dishwasher :)

Hence my absence on the blog front and lack of new jewelry designs. I have been drained, creatively speaking. I am hoping to learn how to conquer both areas! I would like to get back to doing regular giveaways and debuting new designs every month. Hang in there with me ... I'm hoping to get there soon!

This is going to be a super busy Summer for us ... traveling to see family and an anniversary trip to San Diego! Woo-hoo :) What are your plans for this Summer?

I'll leave you with a picture of Kylie getting into my spice drawer ... this is a regular occurrence! Kinda cute, kind of annoying :)

mother's day orders ...

Last day to place is THIS Sunday, April 26th!!! Get your order in so you wont incur extra shipping fees!

Happy Friday :)

where in the world have I been, you ask?...

The answer is ... I'm not really sure myself! I have been home and present, but apparently not on my blog. Sorry about that! So what have I been up to? Simple things like ...

Enjoying the warm weather with Kylie
Going in her little plastic pool on the patio together
Eating snacks at the pool, then dipping our feet in
Having our playgroup at the park
Picnic at the park later that night
Long walks in the evening
Planning a visit (just Kylie and I) to see my Mom for 4 days!!!

Going to the beach today ... go figure I pick the coolest day of the week to go somewhere! Here are a few pictures of Kylie's first time in "pig tails". What do you think? A keeper or just a fun one-time-only hairdo?



Come visit me soon for a giveaway!

we're back in action ...

Home from a short weekend away with family and friends to celebrate Kylie's first birthday! We had a great trip ... lots of hugs, tons of laughs, heaps of presents, and a few tears made for a wonderful first birthday! The only bummer is ... I am sick :( But with a little medicine and some hugs from Kylie, I'll be better in no time!

Here are a few pictures from her special day ...

just an fyi ...

Blogging will be sparse these next few days. We will be out of town visiting family and celebrating Kylie's "REAL" first birthday!!!

Hope the rain slows just long enough for us to get there??? Have a wonderful weekend, friends!

fab finds ...

Here are a few things I saw this week in a Crate and Barrel catalog that I absolutely fell in love with. They are picnic related, so going into Spring I felt these were the perfect Spring/Summer must-haves for the many trips to the park we will be taking! ***DONT KNOW WHY THE PICTURES ARE SO small ... SORRY!***

This is the "Tiffin Box". I love how you can store so many different foods in separate compartments for your picnic and it still be so portable and compact.

Cooler Tote. Just all around practical. Love all the different pouches on the outside.

Just your average melamine bowl set with lids. Perfect for the cool foods to store in your tote! A cute alternative to the boring Tupperware.

Hope you get some picnic inspiration out of this post ... unfortunately we wont be picnicking any time soon with the weather being so up and down :(

almost ONE!!! ...

A few pictures from her party on Saturday!

things that make me smile ...

Kylie turning 1.
Celebrating with family and friends.
Clear, blue, sunny skies.
A gentle breeze.
Kylie's giggles.
Her curiosity.
Her gentleness.

My life ... when I am with my family, sharing the special moments and the normal moments, I know exactly what my purpose is and what I was created for.

A wife.
A mom.
An example ... a light.
A believer and follower.

Happy Sunday!

craft idea ...

I was browsing around online this morning and came across this super sweet craft for a little girl. If you can't tell, it's one of Martha Stewart's crafts ... that explains its perfection! I may have to gather up some moms and tackle this craft. This reminds me of the hair clip holder I made a while back and how it has come in so useful ... this one seems just as useful and not too bad to look at either!

You all can "ooh" and "ahh" with me while looking at this adorable craft.

party details ...

I got a good handful of small details prepared yesterday for Kylie's first birthday party. The theme is "bubbles" but you wont really be able to tell from these pictures. I will share the actual party pictures with you once the party is done. It will make more sense!

Here they are ... are you ready for this? There's a ton!

for easter ...

This post is filled with fun crafts and decorating ideas compliments of Hostess with the Mostess (www.hostessblog.com). It is a great ... SUPER cute ... blog that has daily hostess inspiration. I get lots of ideas from them when I am anticipating a get-together at our place, or even a day in the park.

Here are my favorites for Easter ...

marshmallow frozen yogurt ...

Has anyone ever had this before ... or even heard of it??? Me neither, until this past Sunday. Oh.My.Gosh. It was delicious. My new favorite dessert I think ... and it was fat-free. That doesn't mean it was sugar-free or carb-free ... but at least it's one step in the right direction!

I think I am now slightly addicted to it because I made my husband truck us down to the yogurt shop Monday night as well! Find it somewhere near you, try it, and tell me what you think. You'll be in love too!

Image from Google.

for the month of april ...

The "Tweet Tweet" design will be on sale ... 10% off! This would be the perfect accessory for any outfit this spring and summer :) Or maybe for an Easter celebration!

Enjoy ...

today ...

Begins the week of "THE" party ... Kylie's first birthday party, that is! It is on Saturday, so I may be slow on blogging. Thought I would give you the heads up! I will share pictures of her "bubble" party with you next week ... I am very excited about it and I think/hope it turns out as cute as I'm envisioning.

Jewelry has been very slow the past few weeks ... hence all the posts of Kylie and I having so much fun outdoors while the nice weather holds up :)

Anything in particular you would like to see? A specific design? Different metals? Share your ideas ... even creative minds run a bit dry sometimes!

enjoying the weather ...

It was about 76* today! We headed out this morning to Half Moon Bay for a walk and lunch. We came home and put Kylie in her plastic pool on the patio, then went to the park ... we took FULL advantage of the great weather!

What did you do today?

follow up from yesterday ...

Here are a few pictures from our park day!



Full of dreams today ... for my business, for our future, etc. Its exciting, but hard because I wonder what's attainable and what's not. Although, I know anything is capable of happening through God! That's encouraging :)

fab finds ...

Yesterday was SUCH a beautiful day!!! Kylie and I went to a nearby park and ate lunch and played on the swings. It was her first time on the baby swing ... still a little too small, but it lasted a few minutes at least! Just long enough for me to snap a few cute pictures :)

Here are the things I came across this week while browsing through my Parents magazine. Some old issues, some new.

Kodak Zi6 HiDef Pocket Video Camera. Love the pink! My husband said this is comparible to the new "Flip" that's out right now too? All I know is I want this! My video camera is small, but we have yet to purchase a cord to upload the video to our computer to share it! That's about 6 full tapes full and waiting. This one has a built in USB to upload immediately. LOVE it!

Custom Books by Tikatok. Take the kids drawings, add text to it, mail the goods and they create your personalized book! Its about $20 ... not bad.

Shoe Clues. I wont be needing these for a bit, but how cute are they? Little helpers for the kids to learn right and left when putting on their own shoes!

Super cute lunch tote. Plain and simple. Nice for the walks to the park to eat lunch ... like we did yesterday!

Bumpy Name custom labels for kids' sippy cups. Perfect for playgroup, park days and school! I think they are about $15 for 4 labels. I love the lavender :)

Speaking of playgroup ... we are off to ours in just a bit! Better go get ready :) Enjoy this beautiful Tuesday!

mothers day ...

Is right around the corner! Remember, it's May 10th :) Start thinking about what she might want ... earrings, bracelet, necklace ... or all 3! Keep in mind, the earlier you place the order, the cheaper the shipping. Depending on the amount of orders we receive this Mother's Day, there may be longer lead time. Please allow 2 weeks for the creation and shipment of your order. Orders placed after April 26th may incur extra shipping charges to RUSH the order to guarantee delivery prior to Mother's Day!

Happy Monday!

a little fun ...

I have been feeling crafty lately and bought some baby shoe patterns off Etsy so that I can fill my time with sewing shoes for Kylie. Not that I don't have 1000 other things on my to-do list each day, but hey ... we all need something (or lots of things) to take our mind off of what has to get done!

Here are a couple pairs that I have made, along with a headband ... don't look too closely or you may find some mistakes! I never claimed to be good at sewing :)

loving the water ...

Yesterdays weather was amazing ... sunny and warm, but not too hot. It felt like a summer day. SO, I decided to get one of Kylie's bathing suits out and fill up her plastic pool on the patio. She had a blast! She also loves bath time, but this was even better because she could actually crawl around and had room to play.

Here are a few pictures of our fun ...

like the new layout ...

I was getting tired of my boring old blog look, so I changed it up a bit! Do you like it? I added a couple new things ... you can become a "follower" of my blog and you can "subscribe" to my blog so you can stay up to date on any new product and sales happening from time to time with notifications.

Hope you enjoy!

fab finds & things i love ...

Really cute headband from a shop on Etsy called Miajoie. Love it!

Kylie being so stinkin cute in a patch of mustard seed ... you can't see the mustard seed because she is so small!

Pretty vintage-y dress from Ruche. I would love for this to be my next splurge on myself?

A pretty barn (where we took our Christmas pictures this last year) near our house, down a windy country road.

out of town ...

We will be leaving for out of town later this evening ... so excited to go relax!!! If you have any orders to place to take advantage of the sale, be sure to place them via email, cristinaashleydesigns@gmail.com, on or before Sunday. I will have some access to email and will get the paypal invoice to you as soon as I can. Please be as specific as possible if placing a custom order. Thanks!

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Here is a peek at what is over in my Etsy shop ... www.cristinaashleydesign.etsy.com. Go shop!

fab finds ...

Because I am such an avid blog reader, I come across WAY too many cute things on the net. I get on inspiration overload, and today is no exception! Kylie took a 2 hour nap today and of course I had nothing better to do than surf the internet, right? Uh huh :)

I am going to start a new weekly post that will be titles "fab finds" and I will post pictures of some of my favorite findings from that week. Some might be photos, some may clothes, decor, baby stuff, etc.

So here we go ...

"Mommy's Helper Half Apron" for toddlers ... too cute for words. I think Kylie will be getting one of these in her Easter basket???

Chocolate Settee. 2 words = I WANT!!!

Sweet, whimsical stationery from Paper-Source. Trying to think of an excuse to need this :)

Fun vintage-y top from a store called "Ruche"

Orange Armless Chair. So stinkin' cool I can't stand it!

is it possible ... ?

To be stressed and relaxed at the same time? I have a sleeping baby on a cold, rainy morning, which makes for a nice quiet chunk of time ... but SO much to get done today. Here is my TO DO list for today:

Story and music time at a local baby boutique
Target ... need a few last minute things
Oil change
Grocery store
2 sets of people coming over to look at an armoir we have for sale
Pre-make food for this weekend in Genoa
Pack

Uggghhh, reading through the list again makes me stressed all over! It gets pounded through quicker than it looks most of the time, which is encouraging!

an errand kind of day ...

Kylie and I are about to head out to get some errands ran before the weekend. We are leaving for Genoa on Friday night ... yay! We SO need a relaxing weekend. Oh, and to play in the snow ... how could I forget that :)

sale + this week = go shop ...

Enjoy 15% off your order from Sunday to Sunday ... go shop! Sale ends this Sunday, March 1st. Please submit all orders to me, via e-mail so I can send you an invoice with the discount! Click on the links to the left to view my jewelry.

I will leave you with a picture of Kylie with her beloved celery stick! Every time I sit down to have a snack (specifically: celery and organic peanut butter), she always manages to sneak over and steal one. And oh boy, if she doesn't get one ... not good!

Off to playgroup. Enjoy your Tuesday ... the weather is beautiful here!

happy almost valentines day ...

I hope everyone has had a wonderful week so far. The rain has kept us inside off and on this week, but it has been nice to stay home and catch up on things around the house! Tomorrow is Valentines Day :) Do something special for someone! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and a special day tomorrow.

*** I know this isn't an uplifting part of the post, but I would like to share this story with you because it has affected me in a way that I cannot ignore this issue that is going on.

My husband was driving home from work one night last week and, as usual, was listening to Christian talk radio. A woman came on the radio and was sharing her story in hopes that it would gain more publicity and attention.

This woman was a nurse at a hospital in Illinois (I think) and one day came across something that would change her life forever. In this hospital that she worked at, they were performing abortions for those girls/women who had discovered they didn't want their child anymore. So the doctors would perform an abortion ... in many cases, late in their 2nd trimester and into their third ... that would often start labor. These babies were born, some as early as 23 weeks, and these precious babies would be taken to a soiled utility room to be left for dead. The nurses would leave them on cold scales, metal shelves ... and "some were lucky enough to be wrapped up tight in a blanket under a heat lamp" without oxygen, food or medical care. Just to die ... alone. Cold, weak and innocent. When this particular nurse discovered what was going on she pleaded for medical care for these babies, but was rejected every time. The final straw was when she went into that utility room and took one of the babies, who was denied help, and held that baby close to her and rocked it until it took it's last breath. It broke her heart and soon after, she started speaking publicly about what was going on in many hospitals throughout the country. Because of the negative attention she was bringing in, she was soon fired from this hospital and has created a website that has more information in hopes that more people will hear this story and be touched enough to help.

This tore me apart inside because these precious little babies don't have a say in how they are treated. I don't understand how someone could be so heartless to deny a baby the health care it needs. They are LIVING human beings!!! I will be creating a sale in the next week or two and 20% of the proceeds will go to this organization to help spread the word. Stay tuned!

I am sorry for such a morbid post, but Valentines day to me is about loving everyone in our lives, not just our spouses. I want to love these babies and help them live the life that we were all blessed to live. I hope you will help me :)

Visit her website for more information: www.bornalivetruth.org. Thank you in advance!

nana is gone ...

It was so wonderful having my Mom up here to hang out and help with Kylie. Nana always brings about new things ... more babbling (seriously sounding like she is trying to say words), crawling faster than ever, more personality, etc. It has always been that way with Kylie. She seems to blossom and start new things when others are around! We are working on "Thank You" right now. My Mom started this one and we loved hearing Kylie try to say it, so my husband and I continue to do this multiple times a day!

Hope you are enjoying the little things this weekend. Happy Sunday!

*** Blogging may be a bit slower for now (on top of no giveaways ... sorry), due to all the changes going on. It wont be much different than it has been lately! Sorry for the blogging absence. But stick around because when I do get back into the swing of things, it will be WONDERFUL!!! Lots of new stuff.

nana is coming ...

My Mom is coming into town on Monday morning ... and she is staying for 4 days!!! The thing is, Kylie always decides to change her sleeping patterns right before she gets here. Sooo, this past week my husband and I have been dealing with getting up 2 times a night ... last night was midnight and 4am (the 4am one she was awake for about an hour). Then she woke up again at 6:30am for food! Either she is having a growth spurt, or she is just getting herself ready to spend lots of time with Nana :)

The thing that I find funny is that she waited for my Mom to get to the delivery room before she came out. My Mom had to fly into town from Southern California and I had been pushing for about an hour and 45 minutes. Literally, within 5 minutes of my Mom getting there, she came out! Something about her Nana gets her all excited :) Me too!

Getting ready to go on a walk with a sweet friend. Then the dreaded grocery shopping :(

story time ...

Kylie and I met some friends at the library today for story time! It was short and sweet ... songs, clapping, smiles, reading, jumping. They really encourage interaction with the kids during song time and story time, which makes it more fun and entertaining for the little ones. I think we will make this a weekly tradition!

some new things ...

I have some fun new things in the works that have been taking up a lot of my time ... hence the absence here on my blog! I am sorry for not posting consistently. I feel bad that I have been neglecting this so much lately ... please forgive me :) These new fun things wont be up and going for a few weeks probably, but I will be sure to give you a sneak peak soon!

Hope you all had a restful chilly weekend. We got a little hail about an hour ago ... kinda fun!

What did you do this weekend?

sorry it's been so long ...

Kylie is finally coming around and starting to feel better. It's been 7 days of this ... yuck! My husband and I are trying not to come down with it too, but I think it may be too late. We are feeling a little under the weather, unfortunately.

Things I got checked off my list today:

- Completed my orders
- Continued laundry
- Made TONS of baby food to replenish our freezer
- Walked to the park and fed Kylie on the bench while watching the kids play (we needed a break from the house)
- Wrapped a present for an upcoming birthday
- Organized some activities for Kylie and I ... and our playgroup (baby swim lessons, CPR class, story time at our public library)

I didn't do too bad. I am sooo tired ... I think we are all hitting bed pretty soon. Stirring up some inspiration for our February design and giveaway! Hope you all aren't too sick ... I think pretty much everyone is sick right now :(

my little sicky ...

The past couple days have been a bit of a bummer around here. Kylie came down with a yucky cold and has been battling a fever for the past 3 days, along with the sniffles, sneezes and coughing. Poor baby. This is her very first time being sick ... which I am thankful for, with her being 9 months.

Sorry for the boring post, but there is nothing too exiting going on right now! Just trying to get her better and not come down with it myself.

I will share a few picture from her 9 month photo session ... sick and all. Oh, and please ignore the spit up on her shirt. Go figure!