gift with purchase ...

Hi again! Have you checked out the new blog yet? Come visit me ... That is where I'll be hanging out from here on out.



For those of you searching for a unique Mother's Day gift, head on over to my shop and browse my hand-stamped jewelry and gift items. There's plenty to choose from! AND, today {Wednesday}, I am including a pair of free freshwater pearl earrings in with every order purchased from my website. Use promo code "FEW" at checkout for your free pair!!!



If you aren't quite ready to make a purchase, please keep in mind that Mother's Day orders must be placed by April 20th in order to receive them in time.

giveaway and other things ...

Hi friends! It's been a while since I last visited this little blog of mine. I have some things to share with you:

1) I have a new blog ... Come visit me at www.cristinaashleydesignsblog.com
2) Hurry over because I have a giveaway planned for tomorrow. Come check out all the details on my new blog
3) My new website is almost done. I will be posting all the happenings on my new blog
4) Follow me on Twitter & Facebook for constant updates on my jewelry business, giveaways and my day-to-day ramblings {you can find direct links to these on my new blog}


Can you tell I want you to come visit me on my new blog? I think I said "new blog" about 10 times so far! So, what are you waiting for?!? Come "follow" me and stay connected!

merry christmas ...

... And a Happy New Year to all of you! I will be out of town and out of touch until January 2nd, spending time with friends and family. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and find some time to enjoy the company of those you love. 2010 is going to be a great year! Merry Christmas!

Much Love,
Cristina, Brian and Kylie

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}