**Touched By Your Comfort**

Hi everyone. I just wanted to say **Thank You All** from the bottom of my heart for your touching and kind comments on my post yesterday. I have been so down lately and your comments really lifted my spirits. Bless all of you for your beautiful and gracious hearts!

The beautiful flowers are from my local farmer's market. They were only $1.50 per bunch. What a deal, and to be able to support our local growers and keep money in our community is a wonderful plus!!

Thanks again!

Sincere Blessings~Melinda

**Bummed And Blue**

Ok, so I know everyone is probably wondering why I'm still blogging when I'm suppose to be packing and moving. Well, the place we were moving into fell through. I'm still in shock!! I was so excited to get the family back together as one unit instead of two, but now it seems as if we have to wait until August. What was suppose to be a 2 month seperation has now turned in to what will be a 4 1/2 month seperation. I can't even begin to tell you how sad and hopeless I feel right now. All of my insecurities have started to bubble to the surface and I can't help but wonder what our future holds for us. This is suppose to be a new and happy beginning after my husbands illness, but so far I'm just depressed.

I'm also worried sick about my husbands health with him working so many long hours.  
I'm sorry for the bummed out post, I know my problems are trivial compared to others. All I can do is to have faith and continue to pray that God will bring us together soon. I know inside my heart that he will.
Have a great day.

Sincerely,

~Melinda

**Soon To Be Jewels**

Hey all, I hope everyone is enjoying their Summer! I picked up a couple of vintage goodies a few days ago to use in some future designs. I also just added a couple of new designs to my jewelry collection. Just thought I would show you all, hope you enjoy!

Vintage hat pin, vintage earrings, vintage key, and vintage Danmark coins.
 

 Vintage hat pin.

New bracelet design ~ Alabaster Rose Designs.
Designed w/ vintage pearls and vintage rhinestone buttons.

Worn Beauty.

New necklace ~
"Teal Drops"


Have a happy and safe weekend.
Sincerely,
~Melinda

**I Left My Heart, In San Francisco...**

Monday was my Hubby's birthday, so he drove up and we went to one of my favorite cities in the world, San Francisco. It is the most charming city I have ever been to, and it was the boys' first time there, so we were excited!

We got a late start so we only went to a few of our favorite spots, Fisherman's Warf, Ghirardelli Square, and Molinari's Italian delicatessen in Little Italy for the best salami in the world.

We also got to have tea at the Crown and Crumpet Tea Salon in Ghirardelli Square, I was so happy because I had been wanting to go there forever. I know what your thinking, Happy Birthday to my Hubby, let's have tea. But he actually enjoy's stuff like that. I am so lucky! We sat outside on the patio of the tea salon and it was just beautiful. The weather was so lovely at 68 degrees and just a slight breeze. It was a nice relief from the 98 degree weather we've had lately.

How sweet is their "open" sign?!!

My two men in the Crown and Crumpet.

Our view from the patio.

The architecture in San Francisco is just spectacular!!

Me and my boy's at Fisherman's Wharf.

We had such a blast, I hated for the day to end. We will deffinitely have to go back before we move!

I hope everyone is having a lovely summer and I will talk to you all as soon as I can!

Sincerely,

~Melinda

**Where Blogger's Create II**

Welcome to "Where Blogger's Create II" hosted by Karen at My Desert Cottage. I have been so excited about this for so long. I'm so glad we're finally here.

So without further ado, here we go...

I am pretty new to blogging as well as jewelry designing, so I am so excited to participate in "Where Blogger's Create II".

I started my jewelry design company in September of 2009, 1 year after I almost lost my husband of 16 years to a ruptured brain aneurysm. Over the years I had stuffed away all of my creative dreams to raise a family and then to take care of my husband. But once he was well, the whole experience made me think that, like the saying goes, life is too short, so I decided to follow the advice and start creating jewelry, an art I had been interested in for years. 

I come from many years of retail and visual merchandising, mostly in home decor and antiques, and I love using beautifully worn objects and vintage pieces in my home as well as my jewelry design.

Many of my jewelry designs incorporate vintage elements as well as new, so each piece tells a story of years past blending old and new to make a beautiful one-of-a-kind piece. 

Most of my jewelry is designed using a wire wrapping technique, although this can be time consuming, I really enjoy the artisan quality of the piece once it's finished.

Along with my necklace, bracelet, and earring designs, I also design soldered glass pendants. By no means are my soldered pendants made to look smooth or perfect, I like the piece to look rough and worn, I think it adds to the vintage look of the design and really finishes the piece off.

Here are a few of my jewelry designs:

Group of necklaces with soldered pendants.

"Vintage Mary"

bracelet.

 "The Cross" with "Matte Baroque".

"Jadite Green" earrings.

"American Princess" necklace.

My work area, where I design my treasures.

My "Royal Monogram" Pendants ~ Waiting to be soldered.

Another area of my work room.

As of now, I am selling my jewelry exclusively on the internet at Alabaster Rose Designs Boutique, but I am planning on doing shows around Southern California starting this August. I have a few people who have shown an interest in selling my jewelry in their stores as well. The opportunities are endless! I love the possibilities!

Please check out my online boutique for the entire Alabaster Rose Designs collection.

Alabaster Rose Designs Boutique

or you can e-mail me at:

Alabasterrosedesigns@yahoo.com

I hope you all enjoyed the tour of my Jewelry Design business, thank you all for stopping by. And thank you to Karen at My Desert Cottage for hosting this wonderful opportunity!

Please go to My Desert Cottage to view all of the talented women for "Where Blogger's Create II".

Sincerely,

~Melinda

**New Designs**

Hey everyone. I just wanted to say "hi" and I hope everyone is enjoying their summer. I have been really sick with a virus that sent me to the hospital on Friday afternoon. I was in a lot of pain, so the Doctor gave me morphine for the pain which made me feel even worse! I have had a horrible headache for two days on top of everything else! I hate that stuff! I hope I feel better soon, I've got to pack and we're supposed to go to San Francisco next week for my husbands birthday. I so better not be sick still!!

On a different note, I designed some new jewelry last week and wanted to post photos. A couple of the pieces are a little different for me because I used a different method. Instead of hand wiring the beads, I strung them together. I really like the way they turned out.

"French Hotel"

3 stranded bracelet

"Vintage Mary"

Bracelet

"Summertime"

Necklace

"American Princess"

Necklace

Well, that's it for now. Check back later this week, I'll be posting photos of my work room for "Where Bloggers Create" hosted by My Desert Cottage. It should be a lot of fun.

Have a great week.

Sincerely,

~Melinda

**And The Winner Is...**

Hey all, I hope your doing well! I think it's about that time to announce the winner of my 100 follower giveaway! I just want everyone to know how much I truely appreciate you all and how much I have enjoyed reading all of your sweet comments! It really means the world to me!! I am am so thrilled with the turn out for my giveaway, I wish I had something for all of you!

Okay, without further ado, the winner is ...

#112
Rebekah from All Thingz Related.
Congratulations Rebekah, please e-mail me with your mailing address so I can send out your treasures! I hope you enjoy them!!

Thanks to everyone who entered. Like I said in a previous post, I'm getting things packed up and ready to move at the beginning of July, so my blog party will be on hold until I am settled in my new place. I have a couple of posts I have to do before then, one of them is "Where Bloggers Create II" hosted by My Desert Cottage on June 19th. So please continue with your visits, I'll be checking in a few times before the move.
Have a great June and I'll talk with you all in July. Don't forget me!
Sincerely,
~Melinda

                     

**Giveaway Ends In 2 More Days**

Hey everyone, just a quick reminder that my giveaway will be ending on Thursday June 10th. If you haven't entered, please go here~ to my giveaway post and enter to win.

I also just want to say how shocked and pleased I am to see how wonderful the response has been to the giveaway, thank you to everyone!! I have never in my life received more than 22 comments much less 112, I am speechless and so thrilled. Also, thank you to everyone who posted about my giveaway or put it on your sidebar, that meant so much in terms of support!

I wish I had a gift for everyone to show my gratitude, but sadly there is just the one. So, good luck to all!

**By the way, if any of you have ever used the random number generator for a giveaway can you please tell me where I can find it, I've been looking and I'm at a loss as to where it is.

Thanks!!

Sincerely,

Melinda

**Vintage Summer Monday's #3**

Hey all, I hope I find you all well and enjoying the good ol' summer time!! Finally it feels like summer around here! I wanted to put up Vintage Summer Monday's a little bit early so if you stumble upon my blog and haven't joined the party yet, please do so! Everyone is welcome! 

****Just a quick note, this is going to be the last Vintage Summer Monday for a few weeks because I am getting my house packed up for our big move at the beginning of July. As soon as I settle in to my new place I will start it up again.  Also, after I announce the winner of my giveaway on Thursday I won't be posting anymore until I move. This is going to kill me, I love blogging and chatting with all of you. You always make my day! So please don't forget about me, I will talk to you all again in July.

Okay, let's get started on Vintage Summer Monday's #3.

 

 Vintage bread cabinet. 

The beautiful peonies my husband got me for my birthday on Thursday. He surprised me and came home to spend my birthday with me. I was so happy!!!

 He also got me this awesome vintage hinged black screen. I think it really makes everything on the dresser pop, especially the peonies.

Vintage ironstone pitcher, vintage books, and vintage linens.

Sorry but that's it for my photos, this is the only pretty corner I have left in my house. The rest of my house is a mess!

***Reminder***

Don't forget that the winner of my giveaway will be announced on Thursday June 10th. If you still haven't entered, please go here~ to my ****giveaway post and enter there. 
   The details are explained there as well! Good luck to you all!!!

Happy vintage Summer Monday!

Sincerely,

~Melinda

** It's Giveaway Time!!!**

Hi everyone, I am so sorry it took me so long to get back to you all about the giveaway, my week is crazy with my son's last week of school, lot's of things going on.

So here it is, the prize for the winner of my 100 Follower Thank You Giveaway...

"Key To The Crown" necklace designed by Alabaster Rose Designs

Vintage floral prints.

Vintage handmade box~Alabaster Rose Designs.

 Set of 3 vintage embroidered linens.

Vintage rose creamer.

**As you can see, there is a rose theme to this giveaway. I hope you all like the prize.

If you do indeed fancy it, here's what you do for your chance to win...**

1. Leave a comment.

2. Become a follower. If you are already a follower, let me know.

3. Post about my giveaway or put my giveaway button on your side bar.

~Leave me a separate comment for each one, I'm going to use the random # generator.

{If I can figure it out!}

Again, I just want to say how much I appreciate all of the wonderful new friends I have met since I began blogging! I wish I had friends like you in my life everyday! I have never met people as sweet and kind and giving with their praise and encouragement as the people I have met through blogging! I am truly honored when I receive your lovely comments, it always makes my day!

**I will announce the winner on Thursday June 10th.**

Good Luck to everyone!!

Sincerely,

~Melinda