Rocksbox- Box Eight

The week before Christmas, I was anxiously watching UPS tracking for my eighth Rocksbox, when I noticed that it had been stuck for days at a depot about an hour from my home. The normal pattern has the shipments stopping for one night at that particular post office before heading to our local office. Concerned that the shipment had become lost, I sent an email to Rocksbox.

Rocksbox customer service was awesome. Within twelve hours, on Christmas Eve morning, I received a response. Unfortunately, the shipment had been delayed and would not arrive until the following week. This meant that box eight, arrived sometime while we were vacationing in Florida. To compensate for the delay, Rocksbox gave me a free month of service ($19.00 value), plus ten dollars in "Forever Spend." As part of the program, I receive ten dollars a month to spend towards jewelry, but the money does not carryover if it is unused. As the name implies, the "Forever Spend" does carryover.

Let's check out box eight.

The Wanderlust + CO Crystal Wrap-Around Gold Ring is pretty. I like the curved shape.

It's also adjustable.

I liked it, but ultimately it wasn't a keeper, because it was so similar to a ring that I've already purchased through Rocksbox. I didn't need two. I was disappointed that they would include a piece that was so much like something that they already I own.

The Loren Hope Sophia Studs in Neon Pink, were actually a good choice for me. I had mentioned on previous feedback that I like bright colors.

Rocksbox has no way of knowing that I already own a very similar pair of Kate Spade earrings. The Loren Hope earrings are a punchy pink and cloudy, while the Kate Spades are rose-pink and clear. I took a picture of the two side-by-side, with another one of my favorite Kate Spade studs that has a cluster of brightly colored stones. I definitely prefer the Kate Spade pieces that I own, to the Loren Hope studs, but this was still a good pick for me. I was starting to worry that the Rocksbox stylist were not understanding "my style".

I liked the Jules Smith Alicia Necklace prior to trying it on. The three gold strands are delicate and pretty. I thought this might be a good every-day piece for my collection.

This necklace is problematic. The strands twist and the metal links kink. In the picture below, I'm wearing it as long as possible. It might have looked better if it had been double the length ( although that would have been a bigger mess for the strands), but at this length, it didn't look right with most of my wardrobe. It's awkward.

The excellent customer service bought me another month of this experiment, but eight boxes in, I'm growing disappointed with Rocksbox. At the start, I was sure that I would find plenty of pieces that I wanted to buy. I was hoping to add some sparkle to my collection, but out of thirty-two pieces of jewelry sent, I've only purchased one ring.

Fingers crossed that Box Nine will be a winner!

Obligatory New Year's Resolution Post 2016

It's that time again, where I take a look at how I did with my 2015 resolutions and make some goals for 2016.

2015 Resolutions

1. Finish Four More Writing Classes Through UCLA Extension - I completed seven!

2. Send out my short stories (Fiction and Non-Fiction) to a minimum of fifteen publications/contests. - I failed this and only sent out five. Four of them within this month.

3. Finish the first half of my novel. - Although it's hard to tell if I've reached the exact half-way point, I'm either there or very close.

4. Blog a minimum of three times a week. Keep consistent with publishing blog content on a regular basis, rather than in large clumps, when I'm on class breaks. - I've really succeeded here, with posting every-other day for the entire year. The consistency has paid off with a upswing in readers.

5. Start or join a writing group - Semi-successful. I did start an online group with a few fellow students over the summer, but it fizzled.

6. Read a minimum of fifty books- 65 read!

7. Starting Jan 5th until June Cruise - no alcohol/sweets/ fried food ( only exception is Jeep Jamboree or other special occasion)- I did this and lost a ton of weight, but after the cruise I went back to my old habits. I guess technically I met this resolution, but I wish that I had continued it after the cruise.

8. Log food and exercise in daily notebook.- I did this consistently until our cruise in late June. Tracking really is a key to success with healthy eating and weight loss.

9. Starting Jan 5th, attend regular exercise sessions with trainer. Make working out a priority in 2015. - Nailed this. With the exception of vacations, I worked out three days a week with my trainer for the entire year.

10. Travel to a new state or country ( hopefully both and several)- No new states, but several new countries- France, Spain, Gibraltar, Netherlands and Belgium

11. Scan and organize 1/4 of family photographs. Print and frame family photographs to hang in both homes.- My big resolution fail, none of this was done.

2016 RESOLUTIONS- Many of which will be similar or the same as last year, but I find publicly declaring and evaluating the list to be a huge motivator.

1. Finish UCLA Extension Fiction Writing Program

2. Finish the 1st Draft and 1st complete revision of my novel.

3. Attend two or more writer's conferences

4. Start or join a writer's group

5. Submit my work to a minimum of fifteen publications/contests

6. Create/stick to, a regular writing schedule-find my optimum writing time

7. Read a minimum of 60 Books

8. Travel to a new state or country

9. Keep a food/exercise journal- exception is the family vacation

10. Starting January 4th- cut sugar, alcohol, fried food from diet- except on vacation or very special occasions ( Days ending in Y are not always special), but continue after vacations

11. Scan and Organize 1/4 of family photos.

12. Organize and maintain paperwork/filing cabinet.

2015 Wrap-Up

Compared to the events in 2013-2014, 2015 was a calm year. This doesn't mean dull though, plenty happened in 2015.

We kicked off the new year at a pajama party thrown by our friends Brian and Valerie, at their business, the La Dolce Vita Tasting Room in Big Bear. The year started with wine, bongo drums, and intentionally bad beat poetry. A few days later, we turned our house over to our contractor for an extensive remodel. We took the house down to the studs and added rooms. The house was originally slated to be ready for Dan's birthday last July, but due to delays, we have our fingers crossed that it will be finished by this July. Although slow, we are overjoyed with the progress. The house has been a very consuming project, with endless decisions and changes. I can't wait to have it done.

2015 was a year of travel. I spent nine nights in Las Vegas, six in Palm Springs, and three in San Diego. We drove to Utah to visit Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon. International travel took us to England, France, Spain, Gibraltar, Netherlands, and Belgium. Part of that included a two week Mediterranean cruise with my in-laws and step-kids!

I served Jury Duty for three weeks on a civil case in Downtown Los Angeles. Honestly, I was grumpy when I was first picked, but in the end, the process was fascinating. A guy tried to sue a cleaning company at the South Bay Mall, after he ran through the planters in an Ikea parking lot and tripped. He was unsuccessful in his lawsuit.

Dan's father visited in July and we went to see Dame Edna at the Ahmanson Theatre. Hilarious. Dan's parents both visited us in September, and I took them to see The Object Lesson at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. I've never been so surprised and delighted by a live performance. In London, we took the kids to their first big show, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

We went to several concerts; Old 97's, Brad Paisley ( Dan's first time at the Hollywood Bowl), and Sheryl Crow. We saw Eddie Izzard at the Hollywood Bowl and had our second NASCAR Experience.

With the exception of our vacations, I stuck to a workout schedule ( 3 days a week) with my trainer at the gym. The first half of the year, I lost over twenty pounds and was fitter than I've been in years. Vacation eating and my post-vacation- "let's keep the vacation going" mentality caused me to gain back about twelve pounds. I'm still happy though, feeling stronger and healthier than last year. There is a lot of toned muscles happening and I have decent endurance! In August, I began to add pilates into my routine, which is so much fun. I really look forward to the gym on pilates days, especially with the jump board. I feel like I'm in a circus!

I've continued work towards my three year fiction writing certificate through UCLA Extension. This year, I took seven classes, and I will wrap up the program by this coming spring. Although most of my course work focused on the completion and workshopping of my first novel, I also took Intermediate Short Story and Intro to Poetry. The idea of poetry intrigued and scared me, but I rose to the challenge and found a new form of writing to love.

The big news of the year happened around my birthday, when I learned that my novel had been nominated for The James Kirkwood Prize. I had been nominated by novelist Caroline Leavitt, whom with I took Story Structure for the Novel, last winter. I was elated and it was huge boost when I was starting to have doubts about my story. I didn't win, but that's okay, I was just so thrilled to have been picked.

Speaking of books, I read sixty-five this year!

2015 was mostly happy and calm. I'm grateful to have made so many happy memories with friends and family.