Sunday, July 27, 2008

Art Hop Strut Models Needed!



Originally uploaded by Jamilary
I'm looking for 4-5 volunteers to model Jamilary in the 2008 South End Art Hop Strut (fashion show).

The Art Hop is going to be on September 5th & 6th, with the fashion show tentatively scheduled for the 5th in Burlington.

From the South End Arts + Business Association(SEABA) website: "The Art Hop is Vermont's largest visual arts celebration. Over 90 sites in Burlington's South End open their doors to display the work of more than 400 artists for the month of September. Special events include live fashion shows, a juried art exhibit, outdoor sculpture, artist-designed mini-golf, music, dancing, and more!"

Last year's models said that they had a great time and a lot of fun on the catwalk.

All models will receive their choice of some Jamilary earrings.

Please let me know if you're interested.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Go Ahead and Vent!!


My crafts show banner
Originally uploaded by Jamilary

On Sunday (07.27.08)

Creative Visions Productions presents...

Go Ahead and Vent!!

...a play written and directed by Cheryl Hall Horne.

A witty, intelligent play with hints of truths and untruths for you to decide. "Go Ahead and Vent!!" is fun and provoking with all the "hot topics" of today. Clashing Singles, Independent Ladies, Angry Seniors and others voice their points of view without caution. They simply get it out among themselves and with you in a delightful play of the year.

There will be 2 shows - 3pm & 5pm.

Location:
Sketchworks Theatre
3041 N. Decatur Rd
Scottsdale, GA 30079

Need directions? Click here.

Tickets are $15 in advance & $20 at the door.

For more information, call 404.298.0437.

Jamilary will be available for purchase at both shows.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

And the winner is...

Thank you, everyone, for participating in my first ever Blog Promo/Giveaway! The winning name is Eye of the Tiger. Congrats to Julia McQuade for suggesting this simple, yet fitting, name. For her help in naming the earrings, she will receive a complimentary pair of the Eye of the Tiger earrings.

Be sure to tune in frequently to this blog, as I will be making this a "regular" feature.

You can still own a pair of these earrings. They are available in my etsy shop.

Friday, July 18, 2008

Want to Host a Jamilary Party?

Among the most common reasons to host a Jamilary party--because you love me, because you want to support me, because you love to entertain--one of the least commonly mentioned is because you want free jewelry out of the bargain. But, it's okay. You can want free jewelry out of the bargain. And, following the simple guidelines below, there's a lot of free jewelry to be had.

~A party consists of at least four people besides the hostess purchasing jewelry.
~The combined guest total must be at least $150 for the hostess to earn free / discounted jewelry.

If the above conditions are met, then the hostess receives a $25 gift certificate to spend at her jewelry home party or to use towards a custom order.
In addition, the hostess receives discounted / free jewelry equaling 10% of her guests’ pre-sales tax total of $250 to $799, or 15% of her guests’ pre-sales tax total of $800+. Totals do not include the hostess’s purchases.
The hostess receives another $10 of discounted / free jewelry for each party booked that night from her jewelry party (these $10 certificates are redeemable at or after these parties).
The hostess receives an additional $10 of discounted / free jewelry if she has 20 or more guests.

Please contact me to book your Jamilary party. Either post here, or contact me at sales@jamilary.com


**Don't forget to enter the contest for a free pair of earrings. The contest ends Saturday (tomorrow!) at 12 noon EST.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Name these earrings. Win these earrings.

The names I assign to Jamilary pieces can be silly (Chain Hangs Low), descriptive (Funky, Chunky, Turquoise), inspired by friends (Cheria; Carmen; Realenn), and inspired by music (Midnight Marauders; Sonata; Bella Fleck). Despite all of the categories I pull from, I'm just having the hardest time coming up with a name for these simple brown mother of pearl earrings. A small, round Tiger's Eye bead hangs on the MOP via a gold-filled chain. I'd love to hear your suggestions...in fact, I'll pay you (in jewelry) for your suggestions.

Enter your idea for a name in a comment here in this blog entry by noon EST on Saturday, July 19th. Be sure to leave me a way to contact you (i.e., your email address). I will also post who the winner on the blog. I will pick from the names given, and the winner will receieve a complimentary pair. (Free shipping to US addresses, only.) Each person can enter only once, so choose wisely. Duplicate entries will be discarded.

Thank you for entering, and good luck!

Thursday, July 10, 2008

July 10, 2007


Road Race Proof
Originally uploaded by Jamilary
Um, today's my MS anniversary.

I knew there was something weird going on this morning, but not until I stepped foot into my office did I realize what was up. I had to take my car back to the dealership this morning. When they serviced my car yesterday, they forgot to reattach the mudflap correctly. On my way there, someone almost hit the hell out of me. Note to all the careless drivers: when making a left turn, it is just as important to look, ahem, left as it is to look right. I was really thinking that I needed to just go home and start the day over again. Once I finally got to the psych department and began thinking about everything that I needed to get done today, it dawned on me. Today is July 10th.

On July 9, 2007, I returned to VT after running in my 3rd Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta. Yes, I'm always trying to find an excuse to go home (e.g., Thanksgiving, my birthday, Flag Day, Groundhog's Day...), but the 4th of July has been really special to me, especially in the last few years. Tens of thousands of people sweat it out down 6.2 miles of Atlanta's most major trafficways, all for a t-shirt and the glory of saying that they finished the Peachtree Road Race. Well, I've never actually worn any of the t-shirts I've gotten over the course of the races I've ran. My satisfaction has come from setting and completing a physical goal for myself. I've been good about setting goals at the workplace and at school, but physical goals...not so much. So, in returning to VT that day last year, I felt so accomplished and proud of myself.

Well, the day after I returned to VT, I had a doctor's appointment. I was going to receive the results of my MRI and tests that I did with a neurologist. After finishing the race a few days prior, I noticed that it was the first day that I had been symptom-free. No tingling, no hotspots, no out-of-the-ordinary fatigue. I mean, other than a little vision problem, I felt great! So, imagine my surprise when I, at my healthiest, was told, "your test results and MRI are consistent with a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis." I wanted to sucker punch the doc. Obviously, he had no clue. I was healthy. All the previous symptoms experienced were a fluke. They went away, and they were going to stay away. Well, I like to think that I'm a pretty rational person, so all my aggressive/angry thoughts were quickly overtaken by (another) natural response, which was a flood of tears. Underneath it all, I kind of suspected it. I mean, I had spent hours on webmd.com, entering my symptoms in order to see a list of the possibilities. Hearing it confirmed by a specialist, though, was a bitter pill to swallow. I sat in that funk for several weeks afterwards. Even though I was in the middle of the 6 months when it's actually warm in VT, I sat on my sofa, just not in the mood to continue running.

Fastforwarding a year later, to today, I realize how far I've come. Now, I (can sometimes) find humor in going to the doctor's office now. I oftentimes sit amongst many grayhaired individuals who look at me wondering, "What in the hell are you doing here?" Now, I can give myself a shot everyday. In my latest trip to Atlanta, I actually gave myself a shot (discretely) while sitting at an airport terminal. I used to feel like I had to excuse myself to the bathroom out of embarassment. It is what it is. No one feels awkward about popping a pill in front of other people. Now, I'm at a point where I can say, "I have MS," without breaking down into tears. And, as a way to really identify myself as healthy, I ran in another Peachtree Road Race this year. It was my 4th and fastest one, yet! I finished in an hour, which is breathtakingly fast for me. (Want to see pictures? Go to marathonfoto.com. Select Race: "Peachtree Road Race 2008"
Last Name: Thomas
Bib Number: 92944)


So, in short, I have MS. I've had the diagnosis for a year. But I look and feel better than ever. (Um, don't take the pics from the Road Race as your evidence.)

Today, I'm donating 25% of proceeds from the sale of my MS Awareness bracelet to the National MS Society