Salon de Maria Blog

One of my life dreams is to get a RV and travel to every state in the U.S.  I imagine being one of those wandering traveling writers...especially when I hear about events such as Uptown Saturday Night in St. Augustine, Florida.

History lesson for the day:  St. Augustine is the Nation's Oldest City and was actually discovered even before the pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock!

However, what I find fascinating and one of the reasons I would visit is the unique St. Augustine shopping opportunities and being able to meet all the artists from that area.  I was looking at pictures of St. Augustine and saw many antique stores and art galleries that line the streets of this charming city.  It reminds me of San Diego in a way. 

I get a kick out of finding treasures for the home and giving them new life.  Before I got into painting and making jewelry I used to scour the thrift shops here in San Diego looking for milk glass and vases to create flower arrangements. 

Well, Uptown Saturday Night in St. Augustine is a huge event that takes place on the last Saturday of October and November.  We've already missed the Uptown event this past Saturday, but the next one will take place on November 24th.  Many of the shops will open houses where they serve wine and refreshments. 

St. Augustine has now been added to the list of cities to visit when I get that RV! 

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I went into slight panic mode as I realized that I hadn't been really working on adding new jewelry to the Etsy shop and Christmas shopping season is just around the corner. My focus has really been on blogging for the past couple months. I think it's time to change it up and circulate that creative energy!

I did spend this past Saturday organizing all my jewelry and uploading new pieces to the shop - like the earrings pictured here.

Posted by Maria Palma at 12:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Someone called me a "Renaissance Woman" once and I had no idea what they were talking about.  I had this picture in my head of a woman from ancient Egypt wearing a long, flowy dress with flowers in her hair.  Well, I looked up the definition and this is what I came across:

" A woman who has broad intellectual interests and is accomplished in areas of both the arts and the sciences."

It's funny, but I never gave much thought to all the gifts that I've been given.  I feel truly humbled and blessed as I sit here thinking about all my accomplishments.  Sometimes I work too fast and never stop to think about all the abundance in my life.  However, now that I'm living in The Now I'm able to slow down a little and just soak up all the goodness in every moment. 

Now that I'm aware of all these gifts and have embraced them for what they are, it's time to take those gifts and share them with the world in a way that would help the greater good.  I have an idea that's been brewing in my mind (among the other gazillion ideas) and I feel that it's time to start working on it.  

I'm very excited about this project -- Stay tuned for its unveiling!   

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As I've mentioned before, life as a one-woman blog network can sometimes be overwhelming.  However, I've been meditating on the idea of getting help the past couple weeks.  I feel that I'm finally ready to take it to the next level.  I was definitely motivated to move forward when I finished securing an $800 advertising deal with a company. 

Never in a million years did I ever think that my love for writing would take me into the world of online publishing.  Add to that the idea of making passive income through blog ads and text links.  Back in the day it was just exciting to get a link exchange from someone.  Now I'm off in another world and thoroughly enjoying the ride.  Goes to show what a little patience and perseverance can do for you!  It's also very rewarding to do something you love plus help others in the process.  It puts a smile on my face when people email to thank me for inspiring them. 

One of the companies that has been instrumental in the money making process is PayPerPost.  I'm sure many of you bloggers have heard of PPP!  I'll be attending the PostieCon in Vegas next month, so I'm pretty excited to meet others who have enjoyed the success of making money through blogging!  If you're attending, let me know and maybe we can meet ;) 

Posted by Maria Palma at 11:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Something in me got really excited to make jewelry this weekend!  I don't know if it was from browsing through the latest issue of Vogue or this article about Sandy Ip from CNNMoney that my brother emailed me. 

It's made me seriously rethink my jewelry business and whether or not I want to take it to the next level.  I've been so involved with writing that I haven't paid much attention to making jewelry...until this weekend.

I have new pieces up in my Etsy shop!  By the way, I also changed the banner to my shop.  I think it gives it a more chic/whimsical feel...

Posted by Maria Palma at 12:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)