Sentimental Silver

Find Us Over Here

2010-11-30T19:28:00.000-08:00

Courtney Cox's daughter Coco Arquette in Sentimental Silver

2009-01-13T12:32:00.000-08:00

This past week we saw Courtney Cox's daughter Coco Arquette wearing her Sentimental Silver Sparkle Dainty Daisy personalized necklace not once, but twice!

We also received a mention on Celebrity Baby Scoop. Always a nice way to start the week!

I love that little necklace - it's the one I make for most of my daughter's friends for birthday gifts. For Christmas I made one for each girl in her dance class, but added a ballet slipper charm and a small freshwater pearl charm to it (their group is referred to as the Pearls). It's just such a sweet necklace, and it's so fun to see so many of Bella's friends wearing it.

And not just for girls, I have lots of moms, grandmas and a few aunts who wear it as well!

Catching Up

2009-01-07T21:08:00.000-08:00

Boy, it's been a while since I've blogged! The holidays are always a whirlwind, so it's time to get caught up!

Unfortunately our holiday season started on a very sad note. We said good-bye to our 15 year old shih-tzu, Elliott, who crossed over the rainbow bridge on December 3rd. While we knew the day was coming, but it certainly doesn't make it any easier when it actually arrives. I remember adopting him when he was three months old, from a shih-tzu rescue organization (he was left at the pound when he was a few days old, with his mom and sister). He was always so amusing and such a big part of our life. We always referred to him as our "little boy trapped in fur" - he always seemed to be so much more then just a dog. He loved squeaky stuffed animals and eating Frosty's from Wendy's. When he ran he would bounce, and loved a good game of tug-of-war. He was SO good when we had Bella, which could not have been easy after ten years of a child-free home. He was also amazingly patient with Milo, the cocker spaniel who joined our family three years ago. I miss Elliott every day, and still think I hear him barking sometimes (or snoring at night - many nights my poor husband got a shove to the shoulder to stop snoring, when it was really Elliott).

So that certainly wasn't the best way to start off the holidays. On the other hand the holidays did provide us with lots of distractions, which was probably really helpful. Bella, who you would never know even had a broken ankle, had two really fun holiday dance performances this December. One was at a tree lighting ceremony at a hospital, and the other was at a nursing home. I really like having these sort of peformances, compared to the competitions. I feel that it's really important for Bella to learn about giving back to her community, and I think these were a nice example of that for her. We talked quite a bit prior to the nursing home show, about what exactly a nursing home is, and how it is really special for the residents to have a show like this. On our way out one resident in a wheelchair stopped Bella to tell her thank you for coming and dancing, and that it really made her happy to see them. Bella really lit up, and I think that quick conversation with that sweet woman really made the "giving back" aspect tangible to Bella. She seemed to feel very proud that her dancing made this person happy. That to me is one of the most important things she can get out of dance.

Every December I experience quite a bit of mommy guilt for being SO busy with work. There are so many orders to be made, and I want to accodate everyone and make sure that all of the orders are out in plenty of time for gift giving. So this year I had planned a trip for us to Disneyland, right after my holiday shipping deadline. We have never visited Disneyland at Christmas time, and it was magical. Just beautiful. Unfortunately it was also cold and raining. No, raining is not the right word. POURING! I felt like we were at Disneyworld, in a hurricane! We had to wear rainboots, two-three jackets each, ponchos and whatever other gear we could get our hands on. Being a Phoenix native, I'm ill equipped for that weather!

But we solidered on, and had a blast. Bella met every character she wanted to meet, and was especially enchanted with Alice (from Wonderland!). There are very few moments in life where Bella is speechless, but Disney manages to create many of those moments! Between meeting the princesses, seeing the castle lit up with icicles and experincing some Disney show, for her I think it truly was the happiest place on earth. Sometimes you just wish you could freeze those moments, and hold on to them forever!

We had a wonderful Christmas, and spent lots of time with our family. I

did lots of baking, soemthing I do every year for Christmas. I find something really sentimental about baking with the recipes my grandmothers used when I was a child, so it's a tradition I always find a way to make time for. Luckily Rick had unused vacation time to burn up, so he was home for the better part of two weeks.

Santa brought Bella a pink guitar - which was a hit. Rick's played guitar almost all his life, and Bella is always trying to play his, but they are just too big for her little hands. Well now she has one of her very own, her size, her color! Santa should have probably passed on the included microphone, as she prefers making feedback sounds to singing. My ears may never be the same!

We had a pretty quiet New Year's Eve - just how we like it. We enjoyed a nice dinner with my parents, followed by our first attempt at making fondue at home. It was great and I think everyone had a good time with it. We picked up a little fondue pot at Target, and it worked like a charm - very easy! I think we'll give cheese a try next time. We LOVE LOVE LOVE The Melting Pot, and while this certainly isn't the same, it is a nice little something to tie us over between our visits once or twice a year.

I think that covers most of what we've been up to! I hope that everyone has a healthy and happy 2009!!!!

Holidays here we come...

2008-11-24T09:46:00.000-08:00

There's no denying it, the holidays are here! It looks like our holiday ordering deadline will be December 5th with Priority Shipping. Keep in mind this date is to get your order to you before December 24th. If you have an order you need to ship to someone else you receive it, you'll want to order a bit earlier, or have the order shipped directly to it's recipient.

I was recently invited by Distinctive Assets (who are know for their amazing celebrity gift bags for events such as the GRAMMYs) to make personalized necklaces for their "Babes In Toyland" holiday gift bags. I made personalized necklaces for Brooke Shields, Courtney Cox, Debra Messing, Gwen Stefani, Heidi Klum, Jennifer Garner, Marcia Cross, Nicole Ritchie, Naomi Watts, Salma Hayek, Sarah Jessica Parker, Tori Spelling and Victoria Beckham, among others.

It was a really fun project to work on, and Distinctive Assets has been AMAZING to work with. A top notch group of people.

Well it's time to sand some silver, so off I go! :)

Sentimental Silver in Cosmogirl's Holiday GIft Guide

2008-11-12T14:29:00.001-08:00

We are very excited to be included in CosmoGirl's Holiday Gift Guide! Sentimental Silver's Sparkle Petite Pendants were selected as one of CosmoGirl's picks for Gift Ideas For Your Sister.

As seen in the

gift
guide

Happy Veteran's Day

2008-11-11T09:20:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd share a picture that Bella drew for my Dad. She never ceases to amaze me with her drawings. :) Not sure why my scanner cut the picture off, but you can get the idea.

Halloween is Done

2008-11-01T08:48:00.000-07:00

It really seems like Halloween was a month long celebration around here. That might be because I start decorating for it insanely early, but it has always been one of my favorite holidays ever since I was a little girl, and Bella seems to feel the same way. We had a really fun few weeks. We didn't get many trick or treaters last night (I have an insane amount of candy left), but we had a good time. We visited both of my parent's houses, then came home and took turns taking Bella trick or treating. We probably only went to a dozen houses, as we spent time visiting with our neighbors. Bella hasn't quite hit the age where she wants to power trick or treat and hit 100 houses, though I'm sure that time will come. Here are some pictures from our night...

Making a Halloween Cake...

Pumpkin Carving...

Princess Bella (who's actually dressed up as Barbie from Barbie & The Diamond Castle)

With her Great Grandparents

With the neighbors...

With Uncle Jordan...

Handing out candy before calling it a night...

Boot free trick or treating...

2008-10-28T10:22:00.000-07:00

Bella was able to come out of her boot yesterday. I'm happy, but at the same time so very nervous. Now she has this fragile little ankle with just a tiny brace on it, and is doing who knows what at school. I guess that's a mom's job, to worry. :) She was SOOO happy this morning to hop on a swing when she got to school - I think swinging is her favorite thing on the playground, and not being able to do it has probably been her biggest complaint with the broken ankle. So she was one happy kid this morning.

She's not discharged from her doctor yet, we go back in two more weeks for a final xray, and if that looks good that she can return to gymnastics and dance completely (something I know she's itching to do). I know we'll have to do follow up xrays every few months for the next few years to monitor the growth plate, but hopefully everything will be just fine.

We had quite a bit of Halloween fun around here this past weekend - we hosted a Halloween party for her friends from her dance group and on Sunday we took part in the Trunk or Treat hosted by her former preschool. I think she enjoys the trunk or treat more then the real trick or treating, and I think I do as well. It just has more of a small town community feeling. I think it's always a highlight for all of us.

A few pictures of the weekend fun... Her good buddy Kevin had this adorable shark costume from Pottery Barn. Having just caught an old episode of Saturday Night Live, I could not get the whole Land Shark skit out of my head.

Slow Saturday

2008-10-18T14:33:00.001-07:00

We are doing a whole lot of nothing today, which is a nice change from our usually very busy Saturdays. We had a very unexpected visitor this morning...

Now, for most people a frog is probably not all that exciting. But I have literally not seen a frog in Phoenix since I was about eight years old on my grandparents farm. No idea where he came from, but we had Rick fish him out and set him free (Bella's wish to keep him as a pet was flatly ignored). He was here long enough for her to name him Hoppy (original, I know LOL).

It remains a challenge to keep Bella entertained while she's stuck in her boot, but this afternoon dress up seems to be keeping her somewhat amused. She's been a rock star, a geisha, and now a witch. I honestly don't even recall buying a witches costume, but I think it was probably a post Halloween item...

I must say the green (Jalepeno Pepper by Benjamin Moore) we painted our living room works quite well with Halloween decor and I think will be pretty fun with Christmas as well (and no, I did not pick the color just for holiday decorating, and I think Rick actually picked it). I have to give him decorating props on the color, because a few months after he picked it, it showed up as one of Pottery Barn's new colors. Who knew he had such a design vision? :)

Catching Up

2008-10-12T18:58:00.000-07:00

Bella has been doing really well with her boot. Maybe even too well, she's constantly jumping, hopping, skipping and leaping on it, and pretty much completely stressing her parents out. I'm happy she's not in any pain, but just worry that she won't heal correctly. But, we went in for xrays on Thursday, and everything looked good. She may be out of the boot by Halloween. We go back on the 27th, and they will xray and decide then.

In the meantime we've been trying to keep her busy. If I ever thought that Bella doing eight hours of dance and gymnastics a week was too much for her, I was wrong. She has SO much energy and need to move, and it's amazing how not being able to get that energy out has affected her behavior in general. We've had quite the challenging and defiant week around here. Sigh...

Her gymnastics coach suggested she come in on Thursday for a modified work out, and it went very well, and it was obvious that she was so happy to be there. On Friday, her former dance teacher invited her to come 'assist' her with two classes. She had such a blast, and it was a nice way to break up a day off from school. I have to admit it made me a little sad to watch the little two year old ballerinas dancing in that room, because it seems like Bella was their size only yesterday.

Our friends and family have been really awesome at trying to cheer Bella up and come up with things for her to do. Our dear friends the Johnson Family sent over the most amazing package filled with a number of things for her to do. Markers, coloring books, a movie and even a build a bear that she had a great time putting together with Rick.

Tomorrow she's back at school, and I can play catch up from her "fall break". It's really amazing how many breaks the schools have. I think she still has three early dismissal days and another day off this month. Normally it would be great, as the weather is faublous (yippie - fall is HERE!) but with the boot we are limited in what we can do. So we've been doing a LOT of fall arts and crafts and Bella has logged probably more time then she should on starfall.com. But we are hopefully halfway through her time in the boot. :) And hey, it beats a cast, so I really can't complain.

Bella and her boot...

2008-10-02T09:56:00.001-07:00

She's such a trooper

2008-10-01T21:32:00.000-07:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again - that kid of mine is such a trooper.

Fortunately Bella's ankle fracture is what is known as a Salter Harris I fracture. This is extremely good news. The radiologist's report said she had a probable Salter I/Salter III fracture. Salter III's often require surgery, so it was a huge relief to rule that out. Because the fracture is in the growth plate, we will have to monitor it with xrays a few times a year, for a few years. Hopefully there will not be any issues, and her growth will continue as normal. I'm trying not to worry about the long term issues too much, as I will probably drive myself crazy if I do.

Another blessing is that she was not put in a cast, but in a boot. It can only be removed for bathing, but somehow it just seems so much better then a cast. She was able to walk on it right away, and I think she's only complained about it once all day. She did so well that we are letting her return to school tomorrow. I'm nervous about it - because she is not letting the boot slow her down at all, and she probably should take it easy, just a little bit. I've talked to the nurse and her teacher, and I think she'll do fine. I hope that kids are kind to her and nobody makes her feel self concious about it. While she's very tough and outgoing, she's also very sensitive. No idea right now how long she'll have to wear the boot for, we return in a week for them to xray it, and hopefully will have a better idea at that time.

The sense of relief is tremendous. It could have been so much worse. It's been an adrenaline filled few days - in a matter of 48 hours we had to deal with a possible concussion and a broken ankle. I'd like to take the rest of the week off from injuries pretty please! We are trying to come up with some alternate activities for her for the next month - she has every bit as much energy as usual, which is a lot. :)

More then a sprain...

2008-09-30T21:46:00.001-07:00

Sadly it turns out that Bella's sprained ankle is not a sprain, it's actually a fracture in part of the growth plate in her ankle. Tomorrow morning we go to see an orthopedic suregon, and hopefully the worst case scenario is 4-6 weeks in a cast. I don't even want to think about other options. :( I know a cast isn't the end of the world, but for a little girl who is so active (spending 7-8 hours a week at dance and gymastics) and who just started kindergarten, it's going to be a huge change to her life for a while.

I'm also so worried about how she'll do at school, having never broken a thing, I don't know how hard it is to get around with a cast on. Bella's always the one running to be in the front and the first to jump into the action, so being slowed down will likely come with a lot of frustration. Maybe it will help teach her some more patience, but it's going to be hard. I'm worried sick right now, I just want to get to the doctor and hear the verdict. I know we have been so blessed that she's always been so healthy, and this is really small compared to what some children face, but it's still scary to have anything wrong with your baby (even when that baby is quickly approaching you in height!).

If you've sent an email or left a message today that I have not yet returned, please hang in there and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Bumps, Bruises & Celebrations

2008-09-29T18:48:00.000-07:00

I must say we have been EXTREMELY lucky that Bella has been pretty much injury free in life. Only very minor issues and they have been far and few between. However it now appears that we are playing catch up. On Saturday she sprained her ankle on one of the big inflatable slide/bounce house things. Today, I got a call from the school nurse informing me that Bella fell off the bench at lunch and hit her head on the lunchroom floor. She said that they iced it, and that she wanted to go back to the lunchroom, but that she had been very emotional (ahh break mommies heart).

Well I pick her up at school and she informs me that she didn't fall, she was pushed off the bench. By another girl in class, one who seems to do this kind of thing a lot - I had talked with two other mothers about incidents their daughters had with this girl - prior to Bella's today. I also had a few moms contact me after school because their daughters told them what happened, thus sort of supporting that Bella wasn't making up or exagerating that she was pushed off the bench. This is a whole new type of issue for us to deal with. I'm going to talk to the teacher, I'm just not sure what the correct way is to handle things like this.

So I took Bella to the doctor right from school, and the head looks like it's okay. We need to wake her up one time tonight, but all signs point to her being fine. The doctor did not feel the same about her ankle. It's very swollen still, much more swollen then the doctor felt it should be. So she sent us for an xray (Bella's first). We are waiting to hear on that. She's out of dance and gymnastics for two-three weeks, which is a big deal seeing as how she participates in the two for about seven hours a week. So fingers crossed she just has a bad sprain, and will not be out of comission too long. Bella is NOT an easy kid to keep down.

On to better news... We have some very exciting news in the family, my brother Josh proposed to his girlfriend Kim this weekend up in Sedona. It's been a fun week, talking on the phone with him much more then usual - as he prepared for this weekend. He asked her parents, bought the ring, all that good stuff. Kim said yes an seems ecstatic, and we are SO excited for them. They are a great couple and my brother is so happy when he's with her. They have so much in common, they are both science teachers (same school even), both love the outdoors and are both pretty serious atheltes. I think they have a wonderful future together, and we are thrilled that Kim will be a permanent part of our family.

Sparkle Sale

2008-09-22T21:26:00.000-07:00

Yippie, I finally got the new Sparkle Bar Necklaces in the shopping cart and they are now available for sale. I have been wearing my Sparkle Bars daily and they are my new favorite. I think they are a great way to show off your special names and birthstones. They have a special introductory price - and we have a 15% off sale going on, so if you have your eye on one, now's the time to order. :)

Life has been so busy the past few weeks. My mom has been going through a lot of health issues, and just spent two weeks in the hospital. I'm really worried about her and hope that things will improve for her soon.

A little bit of fall seems to be in the air. It's still really hot (it is Arizona after all!) but there's that little change in the air. Fall is my favorite time of year, hands down - it's an end to the heat and ushers in the holiday season. I made a batch of pumpkin muffins tonight - love that smell of pumpkin and cinnamon coming from the oven. Certainly one of life's little pleasures!

A Big Congrats

2008-09-09T21:05:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to send out a BIG congratulations to our friends the Brown Family, who just received their referral for the adoption of their son from Ethiopia! It's been a long wait, and I'm so excited that this day has come, and that soon their son will be home with their wonderful family. Sandi and Bill are awesome parents, and baby Paul is going to have three sweet sisters doting on him no doubt. Sandi has always been a great friend (who I don't get to see often enough) and she's certainly been a great support and sounding board for reproductive challenges if you will. Her voice mail yesterday with this good news was definitely the brightest spot of the past week. Hmm... Sandi's going to need an updated necklace very soon!

What a week...

2008-09-07T20:20:00.000-07:00

This past week has quite possibly been one of the most stressful (and longest) of my life. Too tired to even begin to discuss it, but I know a few friends of mine have been wondering why I've been MIA, and I just wanted to let them know I'm still here, just trying to manage all that is going on while keeping things going at home and keeping up with orders. Anytime I think things may finally be calming down, something cranks them back up. I'm not sure when I'll get to the light at the end of the tunnel, but I'm holding onto the belief that there is one.

No matter what craziness life throws my way, I am blessed beyond measure with an amazing husband and daughter, who keep me laughing through anything and everything. Laughter really is the best medicine. I owe them both many home cooked dinners and lots of my undivided attention. I probably also owe them some baked goods (which around here are like a get out of jail free card). This place and this place certainly are full of some great ideas and I'm fairly certain whipping this up for Rick would make up for anything LOL.

Celebrate!

2008-08-28T20:04:00.000-07:00

After a couple rounds of some not so good news earlier in the week, we had some great news yesterday, Rick has just accepted a new job within his company. :) It's more technical then what he's been doing the past few years, which was technical, but the more technically challenged he is, the happier he is. I'm so happy for him - he loves to be challenged and solve complicated problems, and it sounds like he'll be getting to do a lot of both. CONGRATS!!!

A little more new baby sweetness...

2008-08-26T20:39:00.000-07:00

We had a visit from baby Ryann tonight before she headed home to northern Arizona. Rick was thrilled of course - if anyone knows my husband, they know that he's a sucker for babies, especially sweet baby girls. He will sit and hold them for hours on end, which is good, because it's the only way his own sweet baby girl would sleep for the first four months of her life. :) She woke up long enough to drink a few drinks from her bottle, then was immediately back asleep. Ah those first few quiet sleepy days... Anyways, just had to share a few more pics of her... she's so darling!

Itty Bitty Baby Girl!

2008-08-25T20:16:00.000-07:00

My best friend from high school just gave birth to her first child. Little baby Ryann arrived last night around 10:30 pm. While the pregnancy had a lot of complications, the delivery went about as easy as one can go. Ryann is BEAUTIFUL - just perfect. Her Mom and Dad are so happy to have her join their lives. My friend has gone through a lot of ups and downs in life to get to this day, and I'm so happy she's finally made it here.

Bella was very excited to visit her - my friend was at our house on Saturday (in early labor - she didn't think she was, but she clearly was LOL) and we kept telling Bella how in a few days the baby would be here, and not in Aunt Bobbie's belly. Not sure she was buying it. Bella was also excited to get to go to the hospital where she herself was born. It's her first time visiting anyone in a hospital, and she did great - I just had to keep reminding her that it's kind of like a library - keep it quiet. Here are a few pics of not even one day old Ryann...

Wrap up the week...

2008-08-22T12:05:00.000-07:00

Week two of school is almost done and it's gone great. I'm beyond thrilled with how well things have been going for Bella at school. She started speech therapy yesterday and she even liked that, so it's just all around positives. Well, she is a bit tired (and grumpy) but morning doses of Zyrtec are probably somewhat at fault for that this week. My poor allergy ridden child.

Okay, something light and fun for Friday. There are those same "get to know you" survey's that go around that recycle the same questions, but my pal Lisa had one that was a bit more unique, so I played along...

Where is the person you gave your heart to for the first time?
In the cardiac lab? AZ Heart Institute? Oh, you don’t mean literally?

Are you waiting for something?
Another Marc Jacobs bag. Mind you I have not ordered it, just hoping the UPS guy randomly shows up with one. I'm crazy like that.

What were you doing at ten last nite?
SLEEPING!!! Called it a night early. Exciting life I lead…

Can you handle the truth?
Not from Tom Cruise.

Have you ever thought about converting your religion?
Well I’ve heard they have some openings up in Colorado City…

What was the last thing you drank?
Truthfully – Diet Coke. In my dreams – super salty margarita…

Who was the last person you hugged?
Rick. Or Bella. Or the UPS man for bringing me new handbags.

Did you have a dream last night?
While I know that I did, I have no recall of any.

How many piercings do you have?.
Two or four, not sure if the second set in my ears have closed up.

If you could have something right now, what would it be?
Would it be wrong to once again use Marc Jacobs in my answer?

Have you ever had a panic attack?
LOL, others probably think so. Per medical criteria – no. I’ve probably caused a few…

What can't you wait for?
Maybe this survey has a hidden handbag agenda. A sap green or berry Sophia bag. :) Oh wait, I have another non-handbag related answer. FALL!

Have your parents ever smoked pot?
I say no way, but Rick decided to ruin my idealistic views and tell me otherwise.

Want someone back in your life?
Well you'd have to tell me who they are before I'll answer that one.

Are you good at giving directions?
Yes, but I live on a grid system, so does it REALLY count?

Last time you cried really really hard?
I’m not a crier. The last time I remember crying hard was at my grandma’s funeral.

Ever licked someone's cheek?
No. Why? Is there a point to cheek licking? Is there salt and tequila?

What is your favorite thing to eat with peanut butter?
A bagel. Oh screw that, chocolate.

What body part(s) do you wash first in the shower?
Hair.

Do you prefer hot or cold weather?
COLD. COLD. COLD. Did I mention COLD? Why do I live in Arizona???

Could you go out in public looking like you do now?
I did (if going for a walk counts as “public”)

If you could go any place in the world where would you go?
England/Ireland/Scotland.

Have you ever made someone so mad that they broke something?
Has anyone met my husband? LOL.

What is your favorite color?
Pink. Pink. And more Pink.

If you could go back in time, how far back would you go?
Age 17. To relive the good times, and deal with some things with more wisdom.

How do you feel when someone kisses you on the forehead?
Well depends, I mean if it’s some random person in the park then the answer would be assaulted…

Do you think your last ex deserves to die?
LOL, no, not anymore. And I got rid of the voodoo doll as well.

Are you dating the last person you kissed on the lips?
Rick really gets pissy about me dating these days...

Have you ever broken someone's heart?
I guess so. But he broke mine first. (That's Lisa’s answer, I like to live green and recycle, so I'm going to leave it as it is)

Has anyone ever told you they want to spend the rest of their life with you?
Yes, but I think it might be as punishment…

Will your next kiss be a mistake?
HUH?

When was the last time you saw your grandpa?
Probably two months ago. Should see him tomorrow night at a family get together.

Do you know anyone with cancer?
Yes

Who was the last person you talked to in person?
Bella.

Do you think you can last in a relationship for 3 months?
I’m really hoping. Wait, this has been a REALLY long 2. 5 months then…

Have you lost friends in the past 3 years?
Yes, I keep misplacing them and those lost and found booths are just worthless.

Have you ever talked to someone when they were high?
Yep. They are fun to laugh at.

Do you talk about your feelings or hide them?
I didn’t get a degree in counseling to talk about MY feelings, now did I?

Have you ever been out past curfew?
Somehow no, I ALWAYS was home in time for curfew. Now I'm in bed by 10pm, so the curfew's not much of an issue...

Are you happy?
Yes, now do I have to clap my hands?

Has anyone got on your nerves lately?
My nerves are very easily gotten upon.

Do you bite your fingernails?
No, pick at them yes, but bite, no.

What are you seriously wearing?
T-shirt and capris. Though I don't know how seriously I take the outfit.

Last night, did you go to sleep smiling?
I’m sure I did not. I’m told I sleep with a scowl. I think some botox will fix that right up though.

Where did you sleep last night?
In a nest in a tree at the park. Who the heck wrote this question?

Did you have a good day yesterday?
It was tolerable.

Do you currently have a hickey?
No. And for reference you cannot beat on a hickey with a frozen spoon to make it go away. You just get a big bruise. That was the last time I took advice from a blond cheerleader (we didn't have the internet back then to research such pressing issues).

Have you ever collapsed on the bathroom floor?
No, but probably only because I really don’t have a very spacious bathroom.

Are you afraid of falling in love?
No, I have pretty good balance.

Are you in a relationship?
Does stalking Marc Jacobs constitute a relationship?

What are you doing today?
Working on the railroad. All the live long day.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

School Lunches

2008-08-17T18:30:00.000-07:00

A big topic of conversation this week (at least with other kindergarten moms) has been school lunches. Buy or bring? I never really considered buying for Bella. First, she's so picky that there's probably no lunch that would go over well with her, and second, I would worry that having to go stand in line and get a lunch would be a little intimidating for her, and take up what little lunch time she has.

So, since she is such a picky eater, and she's not a big breakfast eater, I worry about lunches for her. Heck I've been worrying about lunches for months before school started. I came across the concept of "Bento" - and thought what the heck, I'll give it a try, kind of like a homemade lunchable. I took one look at these photos and suspected that it would be something that would work well with Bella. She appreciates things that are cutesy, and I like the idea of her just having to open up one box and having all her food right there ready to go - no extra time spent opening things (some of which I've learned she can't open on her own, that at preschool the teachers would open things for her). Plus it makes it cheaper to not be buying snack size versions of things or going through a box of ziplocs a month.

Well it was a HUGE hit with her. I didn't do anything elaborate - simply pulled out a few cookie cutters to cut things like her cheese and turkey into flowers or hearts, added a little decorative picks from my baking stash, and used things like little silicone baking cups to hold stuff in. I put in a few "dessert" items, like mini-marshmallows, or mini-oreos, which is pretty exciting as she's never had anything like that packed in her lunch. She loved it. Every morning she's peeking in the kitchen to see what's being put in her lunchbox, because I keep it a secret, which she also seems to like. It's nice that she just puts the lid back on when she's done eating, and what didn't get eaten returns home, so I get to see what she did and did not eat, and adjust accordingly.

So school week two begins tomorrow. I'm hoping things continue to go smoothly. Bella should meet the speech therapist this week to begin therapy for her velopharyngeal inadequacy. It's something that may require surgery, but we want to give speech therapy at least a good six months to see if we can improve her articulation. I hate the idea of having her undergo surgery, and I hate the idea of doing it to change her voice even more, so I'm hoping that we can make some good progress via speech therapy. It's hard when people don't understand her, and I see how frustrated she get repeating things for people. We are starting to notice other kids picking up on it, and we don't want it to become something that she's made fun of for or feels insecure about. So fingers crossed that therapy can at least improve the situation. :)

Kindergarten Update

2008-08-14T21:55:00.001-07:00

Well I'm happy to say that kindergarten is going VERY well. Honestly I could not think of anything that could improve how Bella's first week has been going. Being able to attend the first day with her was great - I think it made it easier for her to go into a new situation with mom at her side, and it makes it easier for me to know what her room is like, where she goes, how shes gets there and who's teaching her. We spent some time in her classroom, then went and visited all of her "specials" which are PE, Library, Music and Art. (Can I just say how shocking it is that my child has the same music teacher that my brother and I had growing up - seriously, what are the chances???).

Bella made two friends before we started school - "G" we met at a tour of the school, and then saw again the day of kindergarten assessments. "L" she met and played with at open house, but her mother and I had actually chatted online and had planned to get the girls together prior to school starting, but with both of us going on vacation it didn't work out. So anyway, before that first day she had two girls who she already felt comfortable with - and I think this made a HUGE difference. She was so excited to see them the first day (as they were to see her).

The first day of her flying solo was a nervous one for both of us. We arrived early so that I could walk her to the gate (vs the drop off lane) and she went in without much hesitation. However when I was pulling out, I could see her on the playground looking very lost and confused and sort of circling around like she didn't know what to do. Then I saw "G" walk up, and they grabbed hands, and even from my car I could see and feel that Bella was at ease once she found her friend.

Yesterday went well, we did our first drop off lane drop off, and it went smoothly, and after school we went on a playdate with "G". She's such a doll, and while certainly a quieter and more cautious personality then Bella is, Bella really likes her and they both were sad to leave each other when playtime was over. I was a bit worried how she'd do with school (though a half day) a playdate and then three (gulp) hours of dance practice - but she did awesome. She came home after, protested going to bed, but passed out as soon as she hit the pillow.

Today was her first full day, and she did great. She's been learning about the school rules and what happens if you break those rules, as well as getting used to the new schedule and routine. She's eaten lunch in between "G" and "L" each day, and I'm just so happy that she's found some friends. I am however encouraging her to make more friends, and not leave other children out. I constantly try to point out to her how lucky she is to have friends, but how some kid may not have found friends yet, and that she needs to make new friends.

I will say I was a bit surprised when we attended orientation to find out how low the state standards are for kindergarten. Granted, Arizona is not know for great schools, but it was still disappointing. The teacher says that they can and will advance, accelerate or deepen the work as needed. I know the first few weeks are filled with paperwork and assessments for the teachers, so I'm not going to worry too much about it. Right now Bella needs to learn the ropes and rules of this big new world, and the academic challenges will come.

For some reason today was the hardest for me. Not sure if it was because it was the first full day or what. After I dropped her off (and drove past her on the playground) I sort of burst into tears - it just sort of hit me out of nowhere. She's just growing up so fast. But I'm thankful that we are off to such a good start and that she's happy each morning to head to school.

So now it's time for me to catch up on work (while I expected the first week of school to be emotional, I didn't expect it to be as consuming as it has been) and create my new daily routine. Aside from holiday seasons, I'm hoping to soon stop working on weekends and evenings, which will be quite nice. Speaking of quite nice, I have to give props to my hubby... knowing what a hard week this has been (and it's hard for him to see her grow up as well, but he doesn't have to drive off and watch her on that playground!) he treated me to a new purse -one that I've wanted for years. I think we'll keep him. :)

The Big Day

2008-08-10T16:37:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow's the big day. I can not believe my little baby is starting kindergarten. I asked her this morning if she'd just stay home with me for one more year and she said "no mom, but I'll be home in the afternoon silly!". She's ready and she's excited. Our open house went well, she met a few new friends, enjoyed playing in her classroom, and is good to go. Me not so much, but I don't think anything is going to change that. It's a big step in life, a rite of passage and a new independence for her, and it's just so hard to believe that the day is upon us. I know she'll do fine. I don't think there will ever be a day where she goes to school and I won't worry, but I think that's part of the world we live in, and just being a mom.

But the day is here. I can't delay it, move it or put it off. I can't stop her from growing up. She's picked out her outfit, her school supplies are ready, her favorite muffins are baked and ready for her to have for breakfast, and I will do my best not to make a last minute u-turn one street before we get to the school. I know she's going to have a blast, make new friends and have great experiences. I just wish 5 1/2 years ago (to the day) that I would have known how soon this day would have come. Then again, I never would have believed it. Tomorrow I stay with her all day (which is a half day) and Tuesday she's on her own in that big new world.

So here we go, a new door opens, a deep breath, a new journey begins...

School Stuff

2008-08-07T09:45:00.000-07:00

Bella's new lunchbox and tote bag for school arrived yesterday and they are ADORABLE. They are from Kids Travel Zone, and are great quality. Three years ago we ordered her a lunchbox from them, and I've been thrilled with how it's held up. We could still use it, but I thought a new lunchbox for kindergarten would be nice. Bella picked out the images that are on them, as well as the colors. So cute! It's pretty obvious that she picked these out right after vacationing at the beach - mermaids and hibiscus flowers. :)

Today we visit her classroom for an open house. Hoping she meets some new friends, which would certainly make the first day of school much easier.

So the repair to our AC only bought us about 10 hours of cold and then the AC was no longer blowing cool air. :( We called the repair company back out, and luckily they quickly found where the leak was, and repaired it, and credited us for the first visit. I think we are good to go now, but ouch - the AC and washing machine all in one week is just painful. My iphone is also out for repair, but luckily it's under warranty so I'm just annoyed, not out of money. I have such a love hate relationship with that phone. I love all that it can do, but the crashing, freezing, and s-l-o-w response times have just gotten to be too much. Anxious to see if what gets sent back to me is any better. Fingers crossed. I need my appliance/electronic luck to change, pronto!

When it rains, it pour$

2008-08-05T20:42:00.000-07:00

Goodness, as if we didn't have enough excitement having the washing machine break the other day, today it was the AIR CONDITIONER! Bella and I came home from running errands, and when we walked in the door, instead of the cool feeling of relief, it was more of a "um, what's wrong here???" feeling. Air was blowing. Room temperature air. Not good.

We had a tech come out, and we were low on freon, so it's been refilled. The problem is, we don't know what was leaking. To find out what was/is leaking is $350. Just to FIND the leak. Not fix the leak, just find. The tech suggested we just wait and see, that it may be a super slow leak and this could hold us over for 1-2 years, or in a few days we'll be paying that $350 to find what's leaking and goodness knows how much to fix it. B-U-M-M-E-R. But when it's 103 degrees at 9pm, there's no going without AC. :(

We picked up all of the items on Bella's classroom supply list. I was surprised at how much stuff we needed to donate to the classroom. 25 glue sticks. That one just cracks me up. Every kid bring in 25 glue sticks - will they be using glue hourly?

I have to say I'm feeling really sad about kindergarten. More so then I expected (and I anticipated emotional upheaval). To me it just marks such a big change in her life. Yesterday when we got up, I thought wow, this is the last Monday (aside from vacations) that she'll get up and not be committed to being somewhere. For the next sixty some years. It's like the start of having a "job" in life.

While it's been a huge challenge to balance being an at home mom, and running a business, it's what I'm used to. It's what I know. It's chaotic and crazy and a lot of times I'm stressed, but as I discovered when she was at her summer program, 9-3 is a long day of quiet. Granted it'll be great to get all my work done during the day, reduce the production times on my orders, and have nights and weekends free, I'm going to miss her like crazy. CRAZY. I know she's ready though. She's excited, and she needs more challenges and stimulation each day then I can provide. So now I just have to try not to cry the first day. Well, at least not until I'm off the property... hey, I'm a realist.

How we $pent the weekend...

2008-08-03T12:44:00.000-07:00

Hearing a huge screeching nails on the chalkboard sound from my washing machine was not in my plans for the weekend. After about nine years I think it decided it was time for retirement. Rick fixed some parts on it last year, but after checking the belts and other possible problems, it was decided it was the motor that was screaming at us, and that it needed to be replaced. Bummer. I would have much rather purchased a nice new handbag, but I guess we probably need clean clothes more than a new Marc Jacobs bag. Not nearly as much fun though. I couldn't quite bring myself to dropping the extra money for a front loading machine - so old school top loader it is. :)

On a positive note Rick was very pleased with the service at Sears. They price matched the better price Home Depot (who didn't actually have any to take home) had on the same model (plus 10% of the difference) and had the whole purchase start to finish done in about 15 minutes max, out the door, new washer in tow. We are typically pretty easy customers, we come in to a store with the item we want already selected, just make the deal, don't give us a bunch of BS or mess with the price, and you can be on to the next customer in no time.

Yesterday Bella audtioned for and was accepted into the company program at her dance studio. She's really excited. Her "dancing sister" as she calls her was also accepted, which is great, they will have a blast. There are five girls in her group, and I think they are going to make a great bunch and be great friends. It's a big commitment time wise, but Bella has shown time and time again that she thrives on structure and being kept busy in an organized fashion. With no other kiddos in this house, she very quickly gets bored. One of the things I love about dance for her, is that it requires the use of her body and mind at the same time. And she just LOVES dancing - so she's really excited for this new adventure.

New Sparkle Jewelry

2008-07-30T11:42:00.000-07:00

I have a few new pieces that I will be adding to the Sparkle Line this month. The Sparkle Line has been so popular, and I have to admit it's really fun to add the color to the pieces through the birthstones. People seem to really enjoy being able to personalize their pieces with both names and birthstones.

This picture is of the new Sparkle Birthstone Bars. I have been wearing that necklace every day for the past month and they are certainly my current favorite. I love wearing necklaces with multiple charms on them - something about the way they move and layer is just really fun. I also have bars with my anniversary (with a diamond colored stone) as well as my daughter's birthday (with a pink stone). Sometimes I just wear our names, and other days I wear all five pieces together. I think the Sparkle Birthstone Bars will be great mix and match pieces. The bars will also be available in a non-sparkle version as well.

I will also be adding a Sparkle Rectangle. The rectangle is nice in that it allows for longer names, and there are a number of different ways the stones can be embedded into the piece. One of my good friends just had her fourth child (a beautiful baby girl), and I am currently creating a necklace for her as a gift, that has her and her husband's names on it, as well as the birthstones of all four children. She's a great mommy, and they are so happy to finally have their family of six (all of them under age five - she's super woman!). I think it's a great new mommy gift. I will post a picture of the necklace before wrapping it up for her.

Back to work!

2008-07-27T20:13:00.000-07:00

We just got home from a great week over in Carlsbad, CA. It was a blast, though I have to say it was quite a shock to go in the summer (we've always gone in September) - I could not believe how crowded it was. 9am on a Tuesday and you were hard pressed to find a spot on the beach. I'm the type that goes to great lengths to avoid crowds, but with Bella starting kindergarten next month, we didn't think it would be very wise to yank her out for a trip in September. But it was a great time regardless, and it was so nice to escape the oppresive Arizona heat for a few days. Now it's time to unpack the bags, do load after load of laundry, hit the grocery store, and all that other post-vacation not so fun stuff. Back to the real world! A few pics...

Ice cream for dinner, always a hit...

Lots of fun in the pool...

Quail Botanical Gardens in Encinitas

Beach Babe...

Every year she has to pick a few hibiscus flowers...

Face painting at Legoland...

Museum of Making Music

Sand anyone?

Speaking of kindergarten - it's offical - it's starting, in two weeks, no denying it! Our "I'm On My Way To Kindergarten" packet arrived while we were away. I am still in denial that my little girl is old enough to attend kindergarten. It seems like such a monumental milestone, the end of the baby, toddler and preschool days. I'm sure she'll do fine, me on the other hand, that I'm not so sure of.

This week we'll pick up all the supplies on the supply list the school sent, attend a school tour, go for our meet the teacher/assess your child's skills meeting, and try to hunt down a princess "tote" bag (we were specifically told to get tote bags and not backpacks, so much for the cute Tinkerbell one she picked out while we were on vacation). This might work, but I'm thinking she's best off with something that closes at the top. Maybe we could velcro it shut? I'm sure we can come up with something.

Scrapbooking

2008-07-15T20:23:00.000-07:00

I do not scrapbook nearly as much as I should or I would like to. Heck, I barely manage to get my photos printed more then a few times a year. There just always seem to be other things that need to be tended to, but sometimes I need to remind myself that capturing these memories IS a priority.

One thing I have been trying to scrap are calendar months - one page - many memories. At first I tried it with paper scrapping, but never made it past the first month (I think that was March 2007). I've been digital scrapping for a few years, and really prefer it (no mess on the kitchen table!). When Heather Ann came out with her Monthly Memories Kit at Heather Ann Designs, I knew that I had found my solution.

I still don't manage to scrap nearly as often as I should, but I have been trying to keep up at least the calendar pages. Granted, I'm a few months behind, but it's better then nothing! Somehow I always seem to need a new kit to use before I can scrap, even though I have file after file of them. :) I just picked up this adorable "Twirl Collection" at The Shabby Shoppe that I used to put together my March 2008 page.

A peek at Jan & Feb...

Sneaking a little healthy in... under the chocolate that is.

2008-07-15T12:41:00.000-07:00

My daughter is by far THE pickiest eater I know (the runner up is probably me, hey - at least I'm honest). Luckily she does great with fruits, veggies, chicken, turkey and dairy, so honestly it could be worse. I don't think I have EVER managed to get any red meat in her - before she was two she was picking the ground beef out of spaghetti sauce. She's also dead set against trying any new foods - heck, even new candy gets rejected. And, she loves her sweets and carbs (bir-cake - for birthday cake - was literally her 3rd word, right after "no" and "mama"), so I'm always trying to find a way to balance it all. I've picked up both of the "hiding purees in your kid's food" books (sweet potatoes & carrots in the mac & cheese is big around here, as well as pureed white beans tucked into mashed potatoes).

Last week I set out to find a "healthy" but very tasty muffin recipe. I have a few good ones (pumpkin in particular) but she's already rejected those - all it takes is her finding one nut or one piece of oatmeal, and that food is OUT of rotation, even if I remove them the next time. Well, I managed to find a recipe that was easy to alter, had tons of positive reviews, and it came out delish.

I altered it by using all white whole wheat flour, oat flour in place of the cooking oats and oat bran, flax seed meal in place of the wheat germ, egg beaters for the eggs, and mini chocolate chips instead of the blueberries (hey, I wanted her to WANT to eat these!). I also added a scoop of some protein powder, just for kicks. :) Bella thinks they are some decadent treat she's having the good fortune to eat (I think the mini-chocolate chips should take credit for that one). Mission accomplished. Sure, they aren't exactly like sitting down and eating a plate of green beans, but with protein and whole grains, they sure beat the other snacks she typically requests.

Sentimental Silver has a new website...

2008-07-13T21:55:00.000-07:00

After what seems like forever (though probably more like a month) our new website for Sentimental Silver has launched. While not drastically different, we've made many changes which I am very excited about, including a new shopping cart system for our customers. I'm really excited about the changes, and to celebrate we are having a 20% off sale... just use the discount code "NEWSITE" at checkout. There are a few new pieces of jewelry up on the site, with more new personalized pieces to come this week.

Visit Sentimental Silver and check out our brand new site! Enjoy!

Summer...

2008-07-13T21:04:00.001-07:00

It seems like summer is flying by. Well, as fast as something can fly by when you live in the desert and the daily 110+ degree heat that is. We had a little break from the heat up in Pinetop, AZ for the Fourth of July. We spent the holiday with my parents, grandparents, siblings, niece and nephews. It's become an annual tradition that we really enjoy. Not only do we get away from the heat, but we get to leave the hussle and bussle of "city" life behind for a few days. We watch the small town parade, take the kids for little horseback rides, race go-karts, play a few rounds of horse-shoes, eat ice cream on a big old blanket while watching fireworks, and just enjoy being outside.

Bella had a blast, she's usually quick to try adventerous things, and was THRILLED to get to ride in a go-kart for the first time. I fear my darling daughter will want to sky-dive at age 12 - she's an adrenaline junkie! Reports from the track were that she was screaming "Go faster Grandpa we need to WIN!". Did I mention she's a bit competitive as well?

She was very excited to go horseback riding again this year. It's more like a quick stroll through the parking lot at the stables at this age, but it's enjoyed just the same.

The parade was cute as always, though Bella and her cousin seemed to only care about one thing, the candy being thrown out. My sister and I joked (kind of) that next year we could just stay home and throw candy at them and they'd probably be just as happy.

Wow, I look at that photo and swear that five is the age where there's no baby, no toddler, no preschooler left in them, it's all kid now. Sigh.

While I have been working this summer, Bella has been having a blast at a summer dance intensive at her dance studio. She absolutely loves it. I was a bit worried that dancing most of the day would be too tiring (ha!) or become boring, but nope - she's loving it.

Each week has had a theme, and so far last week's was my favorite... "The 80's". Each Friday they do a performance for the parents, and she dressed up as an "80's girl". She loved it - bright crazy colors are so her. She performed to "Two of Hearts" "We're The Kids In America" and "She's Got The Look". Adorable.

She's enjoyed her dance time so much this summer that we are thinking of letting her try out for the dance studio's performance company. She was in pre-company this past year, and enjoys and looks forward to every peformance, so I think it'll be a really positive outlet for her.

This weekend we celebrated my birthday. Low key but really enjoyable.

Rick took Bella shopping and I guess she wanted to buy me jewelry (of course!). Her style is a bit more, well, colorful, then mine is. So Rick took her to Claire's and let her pick me out five things. She was so excited to give them to me - they are all QUITE colorful, but really quite cute. I've worn them the past two days which has thrilled her. She's already begging to wear them, so I'm thinking she had a master plan that included her wearing each piece. Just maybe. Rick totally surprised me with a gorgeous new Michael Kors handbag. I'm a sucker for animal prints, and this one is just stunning. He did a fabulous job. :) Love love love it!

We finished off the weekend having dinner at El Encanto, a really unique restaurant in Cave Creek. They have a duck pond in the center of the patio area - filled with not only ducks, but turtles, koi and a big old goose. I was a bit worried, I mean outdoor dining in the summer here is not very appealing, but we really lucked out. Clouds came in along with a slight breeze, and the temperature dropped into the 80s. Certainly a rare treat in July.

Say something different

2008-05-19T07:44:00.000-07:00

While I love putting names on my jewelry, it's always fun to do something other then names. Cute sayings, nicknames, things like that. Well last month my friend Lisa got braces. She decided that she needed a little something extra to go with her braces, and ordered the cutest necklace. It's our double sided square and it reads...

"Brace Yourself"

"New Smile Coming Soon"

Super cute! This morning she sent over some photos of it, and I just had to share!

Father's Day

2008-05-16T09:24:00.000-07:00

Now that we've made it through Mother's Day, it's time to celebrate all the Dads! If you are looking for something special for your someone special, I highly recommend our rectangle pendant for the guys. It can be placed on our chain (we recommend the 24" length for the guys) or on a keychain - just select which option you prefer in the "Choose Chain" drop down box in the menu.

Mother's Day is almost here...

2008-05-05T07:37:00.001-07:00

It's been a busy busy busy few weeks here at Sentimental Silver, getting all the orders ready for Mother's Day. At this point I am not able to make and ship out any new orders out in time for Mother's Day (the last of those orders will be shipping tomorrow). But we still have an option for our last minute shoppers - our Sentimental Silver Gift Certificates. They can be sent via regular mail, or if you are in a REALLY big hurry, sent by email. They can be purchased in our online store.

My Customers Make Me Smile

2008-04-20T08:36:00.000-07:00

I really have some of the sweetest customers. It always makes my day when a customer takes time out of their busy day to email me and let me know that they like their necklace. This was the email that started my day today...

Christi,

All I can say is WOWOWOWOW!!! I’ve been wearing the necklace you made for me and all I can say is I love it!!! I get lots of comments and compliments on it but even if I didn’t, I love it so much. I feel like my family is close to my heart all the time and I reach up and touch it and them all the time. You were such a joy to work with, being “real” via email and helping me plan the necklace.

Thank you again, Norma

What a great way to start my day! Thank you Norma!

How Sweet

2008-04-15T16:36:00.000-07:00

I just finished making this piece and had to share before it heads out in the mail. I think it's so sweet and is a great example of how you are not limited just to putting names on your necklace.

Ordering - Making It Easier

2008-04-15T15:09:00.000-07:00

One of the things I love most about my jewelry, is that the possibilities are almost endless when it comes to mixing, matching and making a piece unique. We have so many shapes and sizes to select from, plus the option to add sparkle with stones, the sky is the limit.

The only downside to having so many options, is that it's a challenge to come up with a shopping cart system that can represent all of them. Heck, I can't even think of all of them myself, I get orders all the time where I think "wow, that's a great combination of pieces!".

Often people want to put two different shapes together on one necklace, and aren't sure how to add them to the shopping cart. The easiest way to do this is to select the first shape and add it to your cart.

So if for example you want a heart and a star, go ahead and add a heart necklace to your cart.

Then, visit our star page, and add one to your cart, but select the "No Chain" option in the "CHOOSE CHAIN" box (which will deduct $15 from the full price necklace).

Now you have ordered a heart pendant on a chain, and a star pendant, without a chain. Viola!

Though please always feel free to contact us if you have questions. We are happy to work up custom orders for you to make it easier. We also have a form you can download and fax to us. We know it can get confusing, so we are happy to help!

A Star Is Born

2008-04-14T10:06:00.001-07:00

We finally have our Sentimental Silver Star Necklaces available online! They come in two sizes, large and small.

This shape is one of my very favorites, and most days I wear my "A Wish Come True" star with two Tiny Tags - one with my hubby's name and one with my daughter's.

There are so many cute ways to wear these stars. We had one customer order a large star which reads "MOM'S STARS" and two Tiny Tags (with children's names) to give to her daughter's preschool teacher as an end of the year gift.

They are also cute to combine with other shapes, especially our hearts. A few pictures...
Large Star With Two Tiny Tags

Two Small Stars With Tiny Tag

Large And Small Stars

Gift Certificates

2008-04-12T15:12:00.000-07:00

We now have our gift certificates available for purchase online, in values ranging from $50-$200. We have both cardstock gift certificates available (sent via USPS) or email gift certificates.
With our personalized necklaces all being custom made by hand, they do take a while to create. We know that sometimes you just need something a little sooner, and we hope that this will help in those times.

We also have many customers who want to give the gift of a personalized Sentimental Silver necklace at a baby shower, but the mom-to-be hasn't picked out a name, or is waiting to find out if they are having a girl or a boy. Our gift certificates are perfect for shower gifts. We love that so many people want to give our necklaces as gifts to mark special times in their loved ones lives, such as new babies, anniversaries or birthdays.

A favorite gift of ours for baby showers is a custom made necklace with the mom and her partner's name on it, and a gift certificate for her to purchase the additional pendant with the babies name on it after the little one arrives.

Push Presents for New Moms

2008-03-12T19:04:00.000-07:00

There is a good reason that giving birth is called "labor" - it's a lot of work! We've been getting a number of orders lately from new dads and dads to be for push presents. A little something special to give to mom after all the work she's gone through with pregnancy, labor and delivery.

I always love getting orders for special events like a birth. It's really fulfilling to know that not only do we have the chance to create a beautiful custom necklace, but that it will always be tied to something as amazing as bringing a new life into this world.

Ordering By Fax

2008-03-12T18:59:00.000-07:00

We understand that not everyone is comfortable ordering online, so we are now happy to also accept orders by fax. You can download our order form, and fax it in. If you want we can even add up your total and send it back to you for final approval before starting on your piece. Ordering by fax may also be helpful if you want to create a necklace with a unique combination of pieces or a completely custom design.

Design Your Own Necklace

2008-03-05T08:52:00.000-08:00

One of the things I really enjoy about my job is letting customers have a part in the design process. Yesterday I chatted with a delightful lady who just had her first grandchild, and wanted to celebrate with a special necklace that included charms representing everyone in her family (herself, her husband, children, son in law, granddaughter, father, even her puppies!). We discussed the different options and ultimately she decided what combination to put together, creating not only a one of a kind personalized necklace, but one that she played a part in designing. What a great way to celebrate becoming a grandmother!

Here's an example of how the design process works. I often recommend selecting a "base" pendant (a square, round, rectangle, heart or star make great choices) then adding on to it to complete the design. Tiny Tags are very popular, but really you can mix and match any of our charms to make the perfect necklace.

New Goodies

2008-02-20T09:19:00.001-08:00

I have a number of new products I'm so excited to share, I just need to get them photographed and online (which always seems to be the sllloooowwww part of the process). Sweet stars, sparkly letters, personalized photo charms, all kids of goodies! Hopefully they will be up by the end of the month, with plenty of time to order for Mother's Day.

Here's a peek at the new letters that will soon be available. My daughter wanted me to make her a "5" necklace for her fifth birthday, and it was so cute that I decided we needed to add them to the Sentimental Silver line up. These pendants are shown with stones set into the silver (S has a stone for July & K has a stone for August), but they will also be available without the stones.

Special Order

2008-02-08T07:17:00.000-08:00

Hands down, one of my favorite parts of my job is getting to create special gifts for people. I often have men contact me looking for help in ordering a special gift for their wife. I love those orders - because as a wife I know how special it is to get a thoughtful gift from my husband, especially one he had to plan ahead to get!

This morning I shipped out one of those orders, but this one was extra special. It was from a husband who is currently in Iraq, and has missed the last two Valentine's Days and wedding anniversaries. The note he wanted included with the gift could not have been sweeter, letting his wife know how special she was, and how lucky he and their daughters are to have her. It really makes me feel honored when someone selects Sentimental Silver for such a special gift. I hope she loves her necklace, though this order is one of those where the thought is always going to be the most important part of the gift.

New Baby Necklace

2008-02-04T09:52:00.000-08:00

I created this necklace for a friend of mine (who's pregnant with her fourth baby!) and figured it was time to get it up online as well. I hope to have it available in the store this month, but it can be custom ordered any time. The crystal encrusted baby booties are ADORABLE. Absolutely darling. A great gift for a new mom.

And for that baby shower gift, for the soon to be new mom who has not decided on a name yet, we will soon have our Tiny Tag Gift Cards available. Give a sweet little baby bootie necklace with a gift card for a personalized Tiny Tag to be redeemed after a name has been picked out!

I should be getting the gift cards from the printer in the next few weeks. These will also be great for the last minute shoppers (men, possibly, just saying... lol).

We have a winner!

2008-02-04T05:41:00.000-08:00

We have a winner! Using a random number generator, Betsy from Indiana was selected as the winner of a personalized Tiny Tag from Sentimental Silver. Congratulations Betsy! And a big thank you to all who entered, and to Bloggy Giveaways for setting up the contest. If you entered, and would like to make a purchase from Sentimental Silver, please contact me and I will email you a special discount code for 25% off.

Happy Monday everyone! :)

Happy Customers

2008-02-01T14:50:00.001-08:00

It always makes my day to hear from customers how happy they are with their purchase from Sentimental Silver. I know that people do not have to take time out of their busy day to let me know that they like their necklace, so I really appreciate it when they do! Here's a necklace that went out this week, and what the customer had to say about it...

Custom Made Sparkle Round Pendant with Tiny Tag

Christi, I just received my circle pendant with my boys names and birthstones with the tiny tag. I LOVE IT!!! Thank you so much! I will definitely tell my girlfriends about your site although this is one of those pieces that I am sure will sell itself just by me wearing it everyday and people noticing! Thanks again, Melissa.

Also had this wonderful email about this necklace....

Hip To Be Square Pendant with Tiny Tag

Hi Christi - I got your beautiful necklace today and I love it. Thank you so much for making it for me. Your packaging was so nice too... a very nice touch. It was well worth the wait and I plan to wear it always. If you ever feel the need to start selling your items here in Calgary... I am your girl to help. I LOVE your stuff! Thanks again, Danielle.

Giveaway fun!

2008-01-30T16:52:00.000-08:00

Sentimental Silver is excited to take part in the Bloggy Giveaway at Rocks In My Dryer.

We are giving away a custom made personalized Tiny Tag necklace. The neckalce will include one of our sweet little Tiny Tags, personalized to say whatever you like (well, whatever you like that will fit that is!). Also included is an optional Swarovski crystal birthstone dangle. Each necklace is made by hand using pure (.999) silver.

If you would like to win, all you have to do is visit http://www.sentimentalsilver.com/ and pick out your favorite item. Then, leave a comment on this post letting me know which item you like the best.

Easy enough! Make sure to leave your email address or a way for me to get a hold of you to let you know if you are the lucky winner. There just might be some special coupons going out to those who enter as well! Contest ends February 3rd. Good luck and make sure to check out Bloggy Giveaways for MANY more great items you can win!

Also, don't miss our 20% off sale at Sentimental Silver! All of our personalized goodies are on sale with the coupon code 20OFF at checkout! Thanks for stopping by!

Sale time!

2008-01-30T16:48:00.000-08:00

20% off everything with the discount code 20OFF at checkout! Happy shopping! :)

Pictures

2008-01-25T19:33:00.000-08:00

I am often asked if I have examples of necklaces with different configurations of personalized pendants. While I'm always trying to get our orders out to the customers as quickly as possible, I'm going to *try* to start taking quick photos of more pieces before they get tucked into our little brown boxes. I think it's fun to see the different necklaces that customers order, and hopefully will help shoppers come up with some ideas for their own unique creations!

Sentimental Silver Round Personalized Pendants - four together make a great gift for a proud mom or grandma.

Sentimental Silver Custom Made Personalized Sparkle Pendant (with birthstones) and Tiny Tag.

I will try and add a few new photos every week. :)

Happy New Year

2008-01-01T09:17:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to everyone! We had a nice dinner out with family followed by a quiet evening at home. Truth be told I was asleep long before the clock struck midnight, trying to win my fight with a stubborn holiday head cold. Today will be my annual "get organized" day, though the head cold is probably going to reduce just how organized I get!

It was really fun making so many necklaces to be given as Christmas gifts this year. I had many husbands buy necklaces for their wives (props to those husbands, they planned ahead for a special gift, gotta love that). While Sentimental Silver makes a great gift for mothers and grandmothers, it's certainly not limited to just those groups. They are great for anyone and can be customized to say almost anything.

Here is my brother's girlfriend in her new Tiny Tag Necklace. The tags have her name, my brother's name and "26.2" on them. Both my brother and his girlfriend run marathons (go Team in Training!!!) so I thought "26.2" would be something fun and special to put on her necklace.

It's great to also see Sentimental Silver on younger women. A customer sent over a few pictures of her daughters wearing the Sentimental Silver necklaces they received for Christmas. The necklaces were personalized with the girl's nicknames.

First you see our Hip To Be Square Necklace. It's one of our most popular shapes, and my personal favorite. Next, you see our New Sentimental Star Necklace.

I will be getting the Sentimental Star necklace up on the site soon (and is currently available by custom order). My daughter kept requesting that I make her a star, and I think she was on to something - it turned out really cute. I think it'll be a sweet addition to the Sentimental Silver line up. "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" is the song I've always sung to my daughter, first when she was a baby (probably because I didn't know what else to sing at 3am!) and now she always wants me to sing it to her when she's hurt or sick. So not only is it a cute shape, but it has a special meaning for me as well.

Happy Holidays!

2008-01-01T09:04:00.001-08:00

Thank you for an outstanding holiday season. All orders placed at this time will be shipped out after January 1st, allowing us time to complete our remaining holiday orders and to enjoy the rest of the holiday season with our family.

We wish everyone the very best this holiday season as well as a healthy and happy New Year.

Warmly, Christi Farr Johnstone

How It's Made

2008-01-01T09:00:00.001-08:00

My daughter and husband love watching the show “How It’s Made”, so I thought I’d share a bit about how our personalized pendants are made. All of the personalized pendants are made using a really cool product called precious metal clay. It is pure silver with an organic binder, that is baked in a kiln, and the result are the pendants you see. We do not use precut shapes to make our pendants, each one is made completely by hand. Here’s a photo of some pendants just prior to going into the kiln (to bake at toasty 1650 degrees). This is what they look like after they have been shaped, personalized, dried, and sanded, sanded and sanded some more. They have a putty type color at this stage…

After spending some quality time in the kiln, the pieces come out a white chalky color and cool off for a while. Then the next process begins and each piece gets a good brushing with a brass brush to bring up the silver. That is followed with lots of sanding, darkening of the letters, some steel wool and then a tumble in the polisher. They have quite a lot to do before they are sent out to the customers! Here is a peek at our pendants after being fired in the kiln…

What To Say

2008-01-01T08:57:00.000-08:00

I am often asked what the most popular sayings and phrases are for Sentimental Silver, so I thought I would share some of them.

1. Names - the most popular choice for our customers is having names that are special to them put on their necklace. We do many with children’s names, but also a good number with couple’s names as well - in fact they are a very popular engagement gift. Some people put multiple names on one pendant, while others select a different pendant for each name. It’s all a mater of personal style and taste. If you have a family that is still growing, getting names on seperate pendants will allow you to add to your necklace as you add to your family. A sweet option that we see often is getting the couple’s name on one pendant and their children’s names on another or on our Tiny Tags.

2. “I AM BLESSED”. This is an extremely popular choice at Sentimental Silver. We get a lot of orders for pieces with names on one side, and I AM BLESSED on the other. We also get a lot of orders for pendants that say I AM BLESSED, with our Tiny Tags added with the names of those special blessings.

3. Happy Mommy. Happy Grandma. Lucky Mommy. Lucky Aunt. Lucky Girl. You get the idea! Here’s a custom made Happy Mummy for a customer in the UK…

4. Pet Names. Pet lovers get their pet’s names on necklaces to wear themselves, as well as their pet’s names and contact number on a tag for their furry friend to wear.

5. A Message For Dad. While most of our creations find their way to women, we’ve made many special gifts for men as well.

6. A little girl’s name on a sweet little daisy. Our Dainty Daisy is perfect for little girls.

Customers Show Off Their Sentimental Silver Jewelry

2008-01-01T08:46:00.000-08:00

We love to hear from our customers how happy they are with their Sentimental Silver purchases, but we are even more excited when they share photos with us of them wearing their custom made pieces! Here are a few we’ve recently received:

How stinking cute is she???? This is Chloe in her Dainty Daisy Necklace. We thought she looked so cute, we even added her to our Dainty Daisy product page!

Lisa shows off her round Personalized Pendant and a furry friend.

Marnie shows off her round Personalized Pendant as well. If you have a photo of yourself or someone special wearing a piece of Sentimental Silver Jewelry, please send it to us, we’d love to see it (and we’ll send you a special discount coupon for your next purchase!).

Sentimental Silver In Celebrity Gift Bags

2007-12-31T20:35:00.001-08:00

We’ve been very fortunate to once again be invited to work with Jewels and Pinstripes, a premier designer of luxury gift bags, specializing in celebrity and VIP gift bags for charity and high profile events.

Their gift bags and their extraordinary contents regularly attract the attention of leading media outlets including Extra, People.com, Us Weekly, Inc.com, and FoxNews. Jewels and Pinstripes always donates a celebrity gift bag to auction to benefit some great organization. The Let’s Hear It For The Boys bag have been auctioned off per the help of Charityfolks to benefit the Plasticos Foundation.

Our “Hip To Be Square” personalized necklace was included in Jewels & Pinstripes “Let’s Hear It For The Boys” Gift Bag. This bag was created for celebrities that recently had or adopted BOYS! These bags went to Jaime Pressly, Sheryl Crow, Christine Costner, Keri Russell, Jenna Elfman, Naomi Watts and Dave Matthews. So far this bag has been featured in Swagtime, Charityfolks, Extratv.com and is in this month’s Pregnancy Magazine.

We are proud to once again have our products included in another Jewels and Pinstripes Gift Bag. Their newest gift bag is their “Celebrity BUMP Pregnancy” gift bag. Celebrity parents receiving the “Celebrity BUMP Pregnancy” gift bag include: Christina Aguilera, Halle Berry, Nicole Richie, Drea de Matteo, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Tameka Foster (Usher’s wife), Gabrielle Reece, Courtney Thorne-Smith, Julianna Margulies and Toni Collette.

This unique gift bag celebrates the celebrity BUMP and everything terrific that comes along with pregnancy. The bag is filled with a wonderful mix of fun and practical items from Divine Basics, BabyPlus Prenatal Education, Sentimental Silver, Crib Rock Couture, Dreaming About Giraffes, Baby Kaed, Chic Tots, KINeSYS Performance Sunscreen, Shari’s Berries, Baby Emi Jewelry, Hilary London, A La Bebe Inc., Laloo’s Goat Milk Ice Cream, Belli Threads, HAPPYBABY, Simple Pleasures, Boatman Geller and Nature Made.

As with all Jewels and Pinstripes gift bags, there is a charitable component to the program. An additional BUMP bag with all the contents included will be auctioned off on http://www.charityfolks.com/ in September with proceeds to benefit the Plasticos Foundation.