Rush, Rush

Sorry about the rushed post the other day. I didn't realize how close it was for us to leave for the concert, which was great, btw.

I spent almost all of yesterday posting things to all but a new Etsy. I haven't gotten a link for it up yet either. This Etsy will be called YourCreativeSide and will have all of the art & craft items I've accumulated over the years & have finally decided to get rid of. Lots of books, patterns, fabric & the like.

In the meantime I'll post a few pictures of what is currently up. Today will be a pick up the house day & possibly some lampworking. I also have several larger size (8-10) rings in the works by special request. Sorry, to those who are waiting. The time factor on rings and various jewelry varies.

Last week was slow but this one is proving to be much faster.....is it Thursday already??

First Big Concert!!

I actually have a couple of pictures for you tonight. They're most'ly of Halloween but I'm going to throw in a couple of up coming auctions too. But it could also be Etsy or Just Beads....I'm working on that......just haven't made up my mind yet. seee pictures.....

Mostly of the little gouls.....I have to run to the concert.....more tomorrow....

Take care!!

Happy After Halloween!!!

Halloween was a raging success!!! The kids got lots of goodies & the grown-ups got good conversation. Now Christmas is hot on the trail (EEEEEEKKKKKK!!!) I think that's scarrier than Halloween......

Two of my boys are gone for the weekend. With their Dad that they haven't seen in months....GRRRRRRRR......that's a whole other story. I just hope they have a good time while they're gone.

I have pictures to show you in my camera but they'll have to wait till tomorrow. My little guy is waiting for me to "sit" with him so he can touch my warm velour sweater. What can I say the little guy likes soft fuzzy things.

I'll chat at ya tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of your evening.

Happy Halloween!

I think my 4 year old is going to explode from happiness over the fact that today is Halloween. It's been a busy week already with school conferences, listing items & making more jewelry & beads. I don't expect things to slow down anytime soon. I can't believe that it will be November tomorrow and the first quarter of the school year is coming to a close. It has really been a good year for the boys & Connor can hardly wait to start school next Fall. By then I will be working full time as an artist, whoooo hooooo!!!!!

I know I promised pictures of jewelry and stuff but my camera keeps filling up with the other things I'm clearing out of the house. Please keep watching though. I should have some pic's up before the weekend (of my trick or treaters too).

I'm just loving what I'm doing & my new lampwork area is wonderful. It still needs a couple of tweaks but otherwise it's more efficient that what I was working at before.

The weather has definetly turned cold & frosty, but I'm trying to not yearn for Spring already......sorry the cold is my least favorite thing about this time of the year. I'm still loving the book "Ask & It Is Given", by Jerry & Esther Hicks. We had a wonderful time at the book club and have all decided to move on to other types of books now that we found the "perfect" self help book of all time (our opinion, of course & how can 5 women be wrong??? ; ) ).

Time to move on with my day! Enjoy yours!!!

New & Improved

The whole house & household is moving in the improved direction. I can hardly wait to start showing you some of the new things I have been working on!

We did spend the weekend getting my & now Jim's office up and running. My lampwork area should be much more efficient & the only thing holding back Jim is that we haven't been able to get his computer to link to the Internet. That's a total head scratcher for me, not that I'm very knowledgeable in that area, but I did figure out why the new sound card wouldn't install. Hope fully we should have the Internet bug figured out by the end of the week.

I'm reading the best book, so far, from my book club. The title is "Ask & It Is Given". It's about changing the whole direction of your life with how you think. I highly recommend it. More on that later.

Tonight I just wanted to let you know that some things are changing around here and you should be seeing the results of that shortly.

Stay tuned for the new improved version of everything in my life!!!!

The Winds Of Change

Windy season has hit here & it's a little early. As the winds are blowing outside the winds of change are blowing inside. Jimmy & I have been in the middle of a reorganization of the house. He has been doing a big remodel for the job he's on and one of the fringe benefits has been to get some of there office furniture that was no longer needed & a couple of computers. This has led to a major overhaul of my office/work area, that has seriously eaten into my creative time. On the good side I will be much more efficient when we have finished, which will hopefully be this weekend.

Dakota's side ache is doing much better but we still don't know what the problem is. I'm beginning to suspect a food sensitivity of some kind. The ultrasound & blood work came back fine so the next step is a gastroentrologist.

Today is my voluteer day at the school. I really look forward to it. It's fun to watch Duncan & Connor is spending time at the neighbors. We are trading days. I take her little girl on Thurdays.

Halloween is quickly sneaking up on us & the kids can hardly wait. I'm a little concered about the weather but hopefully it won't be too wet & rainy.

I do have some listings up on both Ebays. Lots of neck ties if you'r into those at an excellent price. Take a peek if you have the time.

Enjoy your Friday, I should have some pictures of my new office up soon.

Consistancy...

Consistency....I'm working on that. It's a hard one for me. I feel many passions in my life and I have a tendency to "jump" from one project to another, Yes, my kids are included (top priority) in that. They are my main projects however on the side I have all of my jewelry "stuff".

Right now/and always my kids are #1. My 12 year old has had a stomach problem, on and off for about a year. It hasn't been consistent but has finally caused enough havoc for him to miss school.....so I finally called the Dr. & made an appointment. They did an ultrasound the next day but I find out that it takes a few days for them to get the results back.....Dakota seems to be doing ok. He still has the pain but it isn't to the point of him being totally out of it, so I'll wait to see what the Dr. says with the results for the ultrasound. He seems to be doing better today.

Tomorrow I'm heading down to my Mom's to to do some errands & wait for the results, which should be in by the afternoon. If I haven't heard from them I'll be calling, for sure!!!

Anyway that's the update. I have quite a few things in the works but nothing quite finished (hopefully the end of this week). I'll keep you posted.

I promise that I'm trying to be more consistent.....

From Cats to Dogs

I have been a cat person for as long as I can remember but within the last 9 months have become a dog person......well I think I like them both equally now. We started letting our Cocoa in when she broke her dog run chain. Jimmy said it would never work because she had spent the last 3 years of her life outside....well, she made the adjustment wonderfully. She still goes out during the day but I think as the weather gets colder she'll spend even more time in the house but, to be honest I love having her in. She does get in the way sometimes but she is my constant companion for the most part & she is a good girl.

I have been working on some jewelry this week but have yet to complete anything. I've also been listing neck ties. I have quite a collection of them & I need to clear them out. I still haven't made it back to the torch yet but hope to get there by the end of the weekend. The clay is calling ever since my Play Dough day (I'm coming!!!!).

And tomorrow I volunteer in one of the boys classes. At least it's a 3 day weekend for the school....maybe I'll get something finished.

Enjoy your evening :)

Clay Or Play Dough??

I was recently faced with that question from my 4 year old. Actually it wasn't really a question but him insisting that he needed to use my clay (polymer) instead of his playdough. After debating this with him for 20 minutes I got out some playdough and proceded to cover a little glass (heavy) jar with vines & pumpkins in orange & green. It worked great and convinced him that playdough was for him. Of course the vines & pumpkins began to fall off the next day as it was drying but now I've got all of the kids playing with playdough which is very cool!!! Even better I ended up teaching them all how to make pumpkins & calla lillies.

The school thing is really going well. I love getting up really early but am still working on schedualing my days better. I will be volunteering in Duncan's class on Fridays & Connor is going to love going to school & pretending that he's actually "going".

I haven't lampworked in a while. My cough is almost gone so I should be hitting the torch here in the next few days. I've also been working with wire & posting a few neckties & video games in my other ebay. It's time to start preparing for Christmas and getting rid of more stuff. You know it's closer than you think!

It's really starting to feel like Fall. It's been cloudy the last few days but not all that cool which is nice. Today it's actually raining which the weather guy didn't predict but it's still not all that cold. We have lots of blackberries & I've even made a crisp. Hopefully I can pick somemore before they start to mold.

Hope you're having a nice weekend.
Take care!

Back to School

Today was the boys second day of school. Things seem to be going well for both of them. Dakota is making the adjustment to middle school just fine. I always worry about the first day every year. In all of these years of having kids in school you think I'd be more relaxed but that's something I just haven't been able to shake. "The First Day Of School Jitters."

The fair was a blast! I have to dig the pictures out of my camera phone but haven't had a chance yet. It was the perfect way to end the Summer for the kids. One day isn't enough to see everything, especially if your keeping track of kids on rides but it was still fun & tiring.

I have some things on all of my Ebay (both), Just Beads & Etsy. Take a look if you have a chance.

This was just a quickie update. I'll get back to you soon, hopefully, with pictures.

Take care!!

Fair Day!!

Today we are heading out to the Fair. The kids are so excited!!! We picked up Jimmy's daughter so we are taking the 4 youngest kids out. I will be taking them this afternoon & he'll meet us after work.

I finished my FMG entry but I don't know if it will make the deadline. Nothing like waiting until the last minute.

This is the last weekend until the start of school. I'm looking forward to getting them back in, but Connor is really going to miss them. He has one more year and then away he gooooeeeessssss.....

I still need to pick up some school supplies & get them new shoes but otherwise I think we're ready. I can't believe that Summer is coming to a close :-( I do enjoy Fall & already said I would do Thanksgiving this year so I should probably start planning.

I'll see ya all later!! Have a great day!!

I Really Enjoy.....

My weekends alone.....of course they are never totally alone but I truely do enjoy my time. Even if I don't get much done. Jimmy took the 2 youngest camping this weekend. They could hardly wait to go. My oldest boy decided to have some Mom time, although he would never admit to it. Last time Duncan stayed home to play in a soccer game and Dakota went camping, but when Dakota found out that Duncan got ice cream & pizza......well the tables turned. So Dakota decided to buy a new video game and now he is in heaven with ice cream & pizza (frozen) & a new vid to play.

Jimmy is looking forward to a weekend of staying home. The next weekend should be that one. We decided to forgo the beach this year but are taking the kids to the fair instead, which can easily cost a small fortune. We did pre-buy the wrist bands so that the kids can go on as many rides as they like with the extra $$$$.

I should have some new stuff up tomorrow or Monday........well see.

I hope you have enjoyed your Summer I can't believe it's almost over already. I just took my oldest (Dakota) down to register for middles school. One more year to go until my youngest starts.....Full time ART here I come!!!!!!! Well probably part time....but I'm coming anyway!!!!

Slacker....

I have been in kind of and up & down mood over the last few days. Things seem to be back to a more even keel now (no medication) and I'm getting things done again.

My main deadline is the FMG competition which is at the end of this month. I received my supplies today & finished my prototype too so I'm digging in.

School is just around the corner. Registration is this week for my oldest boy (middle school). I can't believe Summer is almost over. All in all I really can't complain. The weather has been really mild & I ended up enjoying the warm rain. The yard is a jungle but that's ok. We got a little bit of the blackberries chopped back but still have a bit to go.

My lampwork has been intermitent lately but I'll pick up on it again in a little bit. For now it's wire/metal smithing.

Back to my design.....enjoy your evening: )

Friday Already??

This is what happens when the end of Summer start to approach.........You blink and it's Friday, again.

I've posted pictures of a couple of rings I have been working on. The top ones are thanks to Eni Oken. One of her designs is the basis for the flower ring. A customer suggested I use one of my flowers in a ring design and I think it turned out pretty well, but both the flower and the ring need to be tweaked for me to be happy with them.

The bottom ring is not for the faint of heart. A big Pink Peruvian Opal with lots of copper wire & an accent pearl. I don't have this one up for auction yet but I do like it.

I've also been working on a proto-type design for the FMG contest. The deadline is the end of this month so times a wasting. I'm VERY HAPPY with the design that I've come up with & even if it doesn't make it into the semi-finals or finals it will be a design I will continue to tweak & play with.

Today I'm running my boys down for a visit with my Mom. A DVD movie afternoon for them & 3 hours, for me, to go to all the shops my boys hate going to. I could easily spend 3 hours in Barnes & Noble alone just looking at books & magazines, but I'm going to try & split my time between Trader Joe's & Jo Anne's too.

Happy Friday!!

Quickie

I'll be posting a quick catch up tomorrow with some pics. Hope you all had a good week.....

Networking.....

Actually I didn't have a network at all this morning. I think verizon does work in the morning (sometimes) that involves the network being down. I've had this happen twice in the last few days and it always seems that around 10AM everything will be back online again. A little pain in my butt, but I'll get over it.

I've been busy this morning paying bills, calling about insurance & just taking care of business in general. Today will be a jewelry day, if it kills me. The ideas are swirling & it's a little late for me to take to the torch.

The picture up top is of my daughters pretty.

Back to the wire :)

Whirlwind

The last few days were busy, busy, busy.........Starting on Wednesday (through Thursday) my girlfriend since 3rd grade came out with 3 of her kids. We had a great time talking about kids & life in general. She lives about an hour & a half away so we don't get together very often. Lately years have gone by.....shame on us.......but the kids got along wonderfully & we promised each other to get together more often.

Friday I ran down to my Mom's and took her to run errands. That was an all day excursion & I ended up renewing my Costco card and getting some shopping done too. I always enjoy spending time with my Mom.

Yesterday we ended up going out to look at cars for Brandy.......and she ended up buying one. A 2000 Ford Explorer. Very nice off of a lot. She's a very happy girl today. The payments are manageable & I'm pushing for her to pay it off early.

Between all of this I did get a few more auctions listed & today I'm going to try and get some jewelry made, between picking up toys from the hurricane (kids) that blew through in the last few days while I wasn't around.................

I didn't even get this posted yet and the day is pretty much over.......accck!

Well I hope you all had a relaxing weekend......back to business!!!

Lost The @#$% Post

What good is automatic save when it doesn't work.......back later.........

And What A Weekend It Was.....

For my Daughter. I have no doubt that she was glad to see this weekend come to an end. She was opening both days which means up at 3:30AM. I heard her leave Saturday only to hear the front door open again. I yell, "is everything ok?", she says no, that she backed the van into the ditch at the end of the driveway.........It was dark and the garbage men left the can in almost the middle of the driveway & she thought she could manuver around them without moving them.......needless to say the van was sitting at a very ackward angle so we gave her the loaner can & proceeded to pull the van out of the ditch, which really didn't take all that long (20min. tops). Sunday morning comes along and I hear her leave again only this time I heard a loud cry. I jump out of bed in a flash and run out to see her getting into the van & she's crying, I ask her if she's ok & she says she fell down the stairs but has to get going. I ask her again if she's ok and she says yes so I let her go. After work I ask her what her injuries were and she shows me this HUGE BLACK & BLUE bruise on her hinny. Poor kid!!! I told her it could have been much worse!! She could have broken a bone or something........anyway she's glad to see this weekend come to an end.

Jimmy & I have started clearing the blackberries on the back 1/2 acre of the property, by hand. It is definetly a 2 person job. We did get them cleared from around the shop which will deter the rodents from nesting in it. We hope to have is done before the end of Summer. I was going to clip a bit this morning but it was pouring rain again......they say it's going to start clearing up today.

So I'll be working at the torch & then working on some rings. I have a couple experimental rings made but I don't have pictures yet.

The boys headed up the road early today so the house is quiet. Time for me to get the show on the road.

:)

TGIF???

I think that for a lot of people out there Friday really isn't that big of a deal. Depending on the time of year it, for the most part it really doesn't make a difference to me. Sometimes my favorite days are Mondays......I know for some that doesn't make any sense but for me it can be a day of peace. I love my children! My worst nightmares are about something happening to them, but when Monday comes around and they head off to school, I sometimes breath a sigh of relief. I still have one little guy left to go & honestly I'll really miss it when he goes (to school) but call it a split personality......I'll also be happy to have some portion of the day to myself. For a few years now I've been a person who is very happy alone but I also realized (on Father's Day) that I've had my children & am in the process of raising them (which I don't mind at all) but that I'm done "giving birth". One of my cousins was at my parents for a party there and I didn't have that pang I usually have around new babies......I'm pretty sure that means I've reached the point of no-return in peri-menopause. I have no worries about having more children (I had that taken care of after Connor). I'm not going to say that I've entered the grandparent stage (AAAACCCCKKK!!!). My daughter shows no signs of even wanting to have children & at 18 seems to be on her way to a career even without a diploma (I didn't say that & I'm still pushing for her to get it!). I'm not going to be one of those parents waiting for grandchildren.....what can I say......I will be one of those grandparents that you need to call ahead of time to book me (I can still be flexible) but I don't tell my kids that I'm waiting for them to "get married" & "provide me with grandchildren". My main concern is just for them to be happy & fulfilled in life.

OK, I'll get off my box now. I'm working on a couple of new designs for rings &, of course, playing with lampworking.....

So back to TGIF....tomorrow is a work day for both Jimmy & I so....... TGIS.....right... ; )

Enjoy your evening...: )

I'm On Fire......

Not really but there were a couple of times sitting at the torch that it felt that way. Between a torch, a kiln & an electric fry pan it tends to get a little toasty. I've really been enjoying the warm rainy (tropical) weather.

At the suggestion of a customer I'm working on a new ring design & I'm going to try to make the Fire Mountain Gems (http://www.firemountaingems.com/) Jewelry contest deadline at the end of August. I've got a few designs spinning around my head but haven't quite nailed down which one I want to do yet. I might do them all and then decide (if I have time). I was a finalist in one of their contests a few years ago (see page 71, Necklaces, in the Gallery of Designs, Butterflies & Flowers # 0178) . I've been hanging out at their website the last couple of days trying to decide what to buy for my creations & I forgot that their prices are pretty darn good plus they now give a quantity discount on all items.

I have been hearing the clay calling again too but am putting that on the shelf for the moment. My ideas are leaning along the Christmas Ornament type so I'll probably start play with that again next month.

The kids are really enjoying their Summer even if we are staying home. They have lots to do & plenty of friends in the neighborhood to hang out with.

I added a few more auctions today. Check out the amethyst moon ring. It's really cool and was a lot of fun to make. The size is on the small side (wonderful pinkie ring) but I had a request to see if I could make smaller sizes.

Time to finally kick it for a bit. The kids are getting chimechangas for dinner.

Enjoy your evening : )

Acid Etch

It's been awhile since I etched a bead. I just had a customer ask if I would etch one for her.....crap....I'm out, but now that I look at some of my other beads I'm seeing some distinct possibilities. I'll be making the trip to the local craft store for some more this evening.

How is everyone's Summer progressing?? Can you believe we're about half way through! The weather is back to a more acceptable lampwork temperature. The family reunion is this weekend but we arent' going to be making it this year. The kids are bummed but understanding. We are going to (hopefully) be heading to the beach for a couple days at the tail end of Summer. The ocean is one of my favorite places in the whole world. If I ever get the opportunity to live near the ocean I'll take it in a heartbeat.

My last lampwork session produced some orchids. Check them out when you have a chance. Plus I have one new ring up for Auction.

Time to get dinner on....

Enjoy your night!

This & That

Did you all have a nice weekend?

They lost the last soccer game but still had a great time. We took him to Coldstone as an end of the season treat. Fall soccer will be here soon.

I was able to squeeze in some lampwork yesterday when Jimmy took the boys out to his parents on Sunday. The beads are still waiting to be cleaned. I also have some more rings in the process & have started playing around on my new table. I should, hopefully, have something to show you next week.

It's overcast & cooler today. From the forcast is looks like it's going to cool off quite a bit this week. They are saying the 60's which is brrrrr for this time of year........I hope not.

Today is another work day for me. I have lots to do.......

Enjoy your Monday!

The Last Game

Tonight is Duncan's last soccer game for the Summer. He's already wanting to start the next season. Their team is ranked second. I'm really proud of how well he's done.

Yesterday morning we had an awesome thunder & lightning storm. It lasted about an hour & I loved it. The only downside was how humid it got later. Humidity is great at sapping your energy......needless to say I didn't get a whole lot done yesterday.

I'm working my way around to posting a couple of things today. Two more rings and a flower or two. I haven't had any time at the torch yet & it doesn't look like I'll get there this weekend (DARN!). My new table is screaming at me too ........need to create something.....arrrrg!!.

Enjoy your weekend.......go create something: )

Hot Baby!!!

It's a hot one, like 7 inches from the midday sun........actually it's nice right now. It's still over 70 in the house but that's very comfortable compared to the 90 degrees it was until about 11:30PM. I actually stayed up until about 1AM waiting for the house to cool down enough to sleep.

I didn't get anything done yesterday since I spent most of my time in the pool with the kids. Today I have to get some grocery shopping done or I'll really be hearing it from the kids & Jimmy. You can guess that it's NOT one of my favorite things to do & I'll put if off until there's nothing but stale bread & catsup in the fridge. Just kidding but from the way everyone complains you'd think that was all there was.

My metalsmithing table turned out wonderful!!! Unfortunately I won't be able to use it until later today or tomorrow......darn!!! So much to do & so little time. I still need to dig out all of my tools & goodies for working.

Gotta run or I'll never get anything done.

Stay cool!

Swimming!

We are going to be heading out shortly to swim. It's going to be in the 90's today & I promised the kids.

I didn't get any beads done yesterday but I did get the area behind me ready for my new metalsmithing table (THanks Honey!!!). Took me most of the day to get things sorted & I found a few things to add to my "other" ebay, but now I'm good to go & Jimmy will install the table tonight. I can hardly wait!!!

I did finish a froggie ring last night. It's a little different from the other one with a touch of green tourquoise (picture tomorrow). I'm taking my ring making stuff with me today to hopefully get something done.

Kids are rousing, so I need to get moving.

Have a wonderful day!

Ooooops!!

I have a correction for yesterdays post. The earrings I want to make are from Jewelry Artist (Lapidary Journal) magazine. I have to tell you that I love what Lapidary Journal did with their magazine. I used to subscribe to Lapidary Journal several years ago & kind of lost interest in it, but when the premiere issue came out......WOW!! I just love it http://www.jewelryartistmagazine.com/ ...give it a look. I think I'm going to have to subscribe again. I've already found several things I want to try.

I posted my rings yesterday & am working on some others. The weather is really starting to heat up which makes it a little more uncomfortable to lampwork but I'm going to try & squeeze in a quick session today. Tomorrow I'm taking the boys down to swim at my Mom's. Connor has just figured it out & can do the water wing swim (after much screaming) & is now excited to go again. We're supposed to be up into the 90's tomorrow & Thursday.

Time to get moving. Enjoy your day & stay cool!

Rings......

Did you all have a good 4th? It was nice here. We ended up having 2 of my sisters over and some of their friends. I was even surprised that the bombs stopped going off between 11:30 & midnight. My kids had a blast lighting things & in the end I'm really glad it's done.

I have a couple more rings done, "Turtle Pond" & "Askew". I will get those photographed today & up on ebay this afternoon. I really like the way both turned out.

I'm in the process of setting up a metal working/soldering area & have been chomping at the bit to make a pair of earrings that I saw in Art Jewelry Magazine. Jimmy is making the table & I can hardly wait for it to be done. It will be right next to my lampwork area.

I'm pretty sure I mentioned that I was going to be teaching a class at one of the local craft store. Well they offered the class for two months (once each month) & we didn't get any takers. I know that it's mainly because of the weather. When it's not raining who wants to be inside?? I took a pass on this month & will probably wait until September to offer it again. In the end I wasn't dissapointed because I always have tons of things to work on & I do enjoy being home with the kids.

We watched 3 movies this weekend. The Bridge To Terabithia (Sad but ok), Pan's Labyrinth ( I didn't like it at all) & Ghost Rider (Excellent, but I love Nicolas Cage).

Today there is a marine layer hovering over, no rain though & tomorrow it's supposed to heat up a bit, closer to 90. Time for me to get my lavender plant in the ground.

Enjoy your day : )

The 4th

The 4th of July is not one of my favorite holidays. We usually get a small amount of fireworks and let the kids light them (carefully) after it gets dark. The boys can hardly wait!

I forgot to mention that I didn't make the cut on the Bead Dreams entries this year. The people who did are absolutely fantastic. No worries, I'll give it another shot next year. One day my name will appear as a Bead Dreams finalist!!

The weather went from stormy to hot. That's making it more difficult to lampwork these days. I'm going to have to start dragging my butt out of bed earlies so I can do it in the cool of the morning. I tried to make a couple of focals today but had a screaming headache. However there was a visitor outside the window. I took a picture but you really can't see the little guy (hummingbird). It kept purching on this outdoor light I made a few years back out of chicken wire, crappy beads & a babyfood jar. You can kind of make him out in the blur of he photo.

I also added a photo of an elephant (aromatherapy vessel) that I've been working on & a cabachon. For all of you wire wrappers out there. I haven't decided if I'll post the elephant of not but the cab will be going up eventually. Do you see the heart in the middle?

I'm off to enjoy a glass of Sangria & make a salad for dinner.

Enjoy your evening & stay cool!

Stormy Weather.......

It's a stormy day today. Yesterday felt like a Friday so today has a strange feel to it. I took the kids down to my Mom's to swim & help with some weeding. They did a good job for the hour that they were working and then the swim was pretty quick. It's still a little chilly in the pool yet. I don't do the cold swim thing anymore these days...brrrrrrr! Water temperature certainly didn't seem to be as a big a deal when I was younger.

We started a game of Sponge Bob Monopoly today. It's an on going game, usually lasts 2 to 3 days, since we play in spurts.

Have I mentioned that my daughter made shift supervisor at work? I'm so proud of her!! She still has a lot of school stuff to do but she seems to be up for the work, now. We'll see how she does.

I have some more beads waiting to be cleaned and also have been playing around with slumping glass into cabachons. I'm pretty pleased with the results but don't have any ready to post yet.

The weather people are saying the the 4th of July is supposed to be nice.......that's unusual for around here. It usually rains which can be good and bad when people are lighting explosives. We live in an area where they are still legal but at the rate the laws are changing & the housing developments are going up I don't expect it to last. Jim hates spending money on fireworks. He says you might as well just light the money on fire, but I always pick up a small assortment of "safe & sane" ones for the kids to have fun with.

I have some stuff I need to finish up.

Enjoy your Friday!!

Adjusting......

Two pretties from my garden.

Having the kids out of school is a little bit of an adjustment. The weather has been a little nuts too. We had quite the thunder, lightning & rain storm last night. This morning was a little cloudy but it seems to be back to sun now.

My daughter was back to work today. She made it to the semi-finals but got knocked out in the end. She was glad to be home & we didn't end up getting back from the airport until about 1:45AM. Boy did that throw my schedule off. She is now saying that she will be going to college in the Fall but I'm going to wait & see on that. I'm hoping she does. She needs to have her own car by the end of Summer too. She's gotten a little too comfy driving my van around.

I listed a few more things on both Ebays. Nothing on JustBeads & no new additions to Etsy yet.

Have you ever been to Trader Joes? It's a really cool grocery store. They carry a variety of things & I can always find something I "need" from there.....http://www.traderjoes.com/. I highly recommend there wine (Merlot & Shiraz), Champagne Pear Vinaigrette, Halva (Sesame candy) & any number of their dried fruit. The store in general is just fun to look around & see all the unique items. Go, if you have one near you!

Enjoy your evening!!

Blogger seems to be having issues with publishing, so I'll keep trying!

She's On Her Way....

A couple of things from my artistic past.....just because.

We will be picking her (Brandy) up from the airport in about 2 hours. She made it to the semi-finals but was knocked out at that point. I'm curious to see how her trip was. I hardly heard a word from her the whole time she was gone. I'll update you tomorrow on what she thought of Wichata.

I have few a glass items waiting to be cleaned. Some crochet chokers very near completion & am working on some rings (digging through my wire to find different gauges).......keep an eye out....I'm not backing off, now that I'm getting things going.......

Enjoy your Saturday evening!

See ya tomorrow!

Waiting.....

I'm waiting to hear how my daughter is doing........no word yet.

Tomorrow I'll be heading down to my Mom's for a day out. I think she gets a little crazy not being able to drive anywhere right now. I don't remember if I mentioned it or not but she has been having very slight seizures since her brain surgery and she isn't allowed to drive until she's been at least 6 months without one. I know I would be going nuts if I were stuck home.

The pictures at the top are a few of my latest "Art" auctions. I have been having a lot of fun these days but I'm also very busy with trying to make new things. I should be adding a few more things to my Etsy in the next couple days.

The boys will be out in 2 more days. I'm hoping.......maybe......that I will get a little more time while they are out playing, to lampwork....we'll see. So far the weather is looking pretty good. We have a couple of Summer events planned. I know that by the end of it I will be happy to have them back in school. In the meantime, I think, I'm going to have Jimmy start waking me before he goes so I can get a little more time at the torch before the boys stir.

The last picture is my youngest son (Connor) & his best friend (Lilly). Aren't they just the cutest?!!!! They are adorable together but they do have their tiffs now & then.

Enjoy your evening. Tomorrow is the first day of Summer!!

La, La, La.........

More pics to catch your interest (hopefully).

Just working my way along. Making more things glass, crochet, wire & clay. Check out my Ebay auctions when you have a minute. Nothing on JustBeads at the moment & always an item or 2 on Etsy.

My daughter made it to semi-finals in the national tournament....YEAH!!! I hope she makes it to the finals.

Enjoy your evening!

Happy Father's Day!!

and congratulations to my son for his 6th Grade Graduation!!! I hope all you Dad's are enjoying your day today. We are heading down to mine for a little celebration. Hopefully the sun will be out by then.

I have a few projects in the works (I know you've heard that before). I'll post a couple pictures today :0

I need to make this quick because we have to get going & having kids to get ready always takes a little bit of time.

Enjoy the day & the picture of my son playing the sax!

Carnival

Another sign that the year is almost over is the school carnival. Today we head out with the boys for this end of the year ritual. They absolutely love it! I pre-buy wrist bands and a lunch ticket and the kids run from game to game, earning tickets for free goodies. The only bad thing is that it's pouring down rain. Most of the games are undercover but still it would have been nice to have a sunny Spring day.

After the carnival, Duncan has another soccer game and then that will pretty much be the highlights of the weekend.

There should be a new link for My Etsy shop. Check it out if you have a chance.

I'm still crocheting like a mad woman. I have accumulated a "few" flowers. Well see what they turn into. The look very pretty in the plastic bag they are being stored in.

I'm hoping to get a little lampwork in tomorrow.....we'll see!

Time to get ready to go.

Enjoy your Saturday!!

Another Win

I'm a little late on posting but they won their game again last weekend. Another great game 14-7 was the final. We are definetely going to sign him up for fall soccer. He loves it!!

On the down side we have a "problem child" in the neighborhood. He shot both of my boys with an air pistol. The "step mother/girlfriend said they took care of it and that the boy got in trouble, however if it happens again it will have to be a police matter. Consider also that this boy was bullying one of the other younger boys in the neighborhood just a week before & we're talking trouble. I did walk out when they got off the bus today and he went right past me without saying a work even though I said hi to him. Granted I have no idea what this kids life is like but it's beginning to look like they are just moving from place to place because this boy has issues...........I realize that I'm not the perfect mother but I'm going to wait it out and see what the transpires over the next few weeks......

On the art front I have glass waiting and ready to go but have yet to melt any. For the moment I'm crocheting & doing a little drawing. The drawing can take me in tons of directions but right now I'm having a hard time staying focused........do you think ADD medication might help??? I prefer to stay away from that stuff myself but I am taking magnesium supplements to see if they help (I read about it in a magazine). I have no doubts that I'm a candidate for Adult ADD but I'm working on more natural ways to treat it.

This weekend we have the kids school carnival coming up and next week will be a whirlwind as we start finishing up the school year. Hopefully, ll be posting again before the year ends. My oldest son will be graduating from grade school but unfortunately my daughter will be picking up the last of her credits in online courses over the summer...........she is extremely bright but just didn't get the work done in the end, although she will be attending the DebateNationals Competetion in just over a week. I'm very proud of her overall but she still has a looooonnnngggg way to go on some things.

Enough for the moment.....enjoy you evening!

He Won!!

He was his game yesterday. What a thrill!!! The only sports I LOVE watching are my kids. I love to play too but I've never been hip on watching regular sports. The final score was 8-6. It was a great game even though he got "SMACKED" in the face with the ball just as the half timer went off. We did Coldstone afterward (picked up pizza too) and rented some movies (and video games). He was really happy about the whole thing but decided that his weekend would be perfect if they came back early from camping........Jim called early this afternoon and asked if I could bring him 1/2 way out, unfortunetly I'm without a car because Brandy had to work this morning. Duncan wasn't happy about the fact that they wouldn't be back until tomorrow, at all (even though it's pouring down rain). Jim and the other kids are having a great time up in the forest & I re-assured Duncan that there would be plenty of other opportunities this Summer. He only has 6 more Saturdays to go & I'm pretty sure that's cemented him playing on a team this Fall. I'M SO PROUD OF HIM!!!

Dak has his Saxaphone & Duncan has his Soccer. I just love it!!!! I have yet to play with glass but have been working on some crochet patterns.......more to come on that.

Hope you're enjoying your long weekend!!
Take care!!

I've Done It Now

Well we got one van fixed only to have the transmission go out on it 2 days later......ahhhhh.......at the moment we are borrowing a big gas guzzling Bronco from my Mom & Dad but we need to trouble shoot the other van & just haven't gotten around to it. Jim is taking 3 of the kids on a mini camping excursion this weekend & I'm staying with one for his soccer game and pizza, have I mentioned how much I "love" to camp?. If not......well I do one camping trip a year and that's for Jimmy's family reunion....otherwise I love my bed, bath & shower much too much to leave it.

I've been crocheting these days because that's about all I have time for at the moment, but I'm hoping to be able to play with some new glass this weekend. My latest look is headbands.......just a note.......if you like to have a new look every month.....shave your head. As your hair grows out you will find that you are always looking for something new, that you like. Headbands are my latest thing......photos tomorrow (or the next day) I may even try to sell a couple on Etsy, we'll see.

Things have been a little hectic with the end of the school year approaching. For the first time since I've lived in the neighborhood (17 years) we have a bunch of kids living on the same block (we don't have blocks out in this rural area but that's the best description). It should be a busy Summer for the kids no matter what.

I hope you're all enjoying your Memorial Day Weekend.

Take care!!

Pissing Off The Auto Gods.....

When it rains it pours.......we own two mini vans, they are both older vehicles but so far we have had pretty good luck with them. They are my "girls". My daughter drives one and I drive the other. On Wednesday my daughter called on her way home from school & said that the her van was having problems. It had died & then was sputtering all the way home. When she got here I started it up & something was definetly up. I would run but it was having some issue (we think electrical). Needless to say I tell her to go ahead and take my van to work......10 minutes later she calls, she's hysterical because it stalled out on one of the busier highways around here and she can't get it started. We rush down there and get it pushed off of the road & then Jim runs her to work while I continue to try and get it started. This one is not getting any gas but it has at least 1/4 tank. We try & try but still no luck so we decide to get it towed home (I love emergency roadside service). It looks like the fuel pump has given up the ghost......oooh well......poor Jim is going to spend his weekend working on the vans. Thankfully my parents have loaned us their spare to get us through until we can get at least one running. You know, these two vans must have somekind of connection (have I mentioned that I'm a little nuts?). Less than a month ago they both needed brakes at exactly the same time.

I'm glad the weekend is here. It doesn't look like I'll be teaching a class tomorrow. I called a little bit ago & no one has signed up yet. Believe it or not, I was actually a little relieved. I have already booked another class for next month.....we'll see what happens. In the mean time I have plenty of other stuff to keep me busy. I went and had a couple of propane tanks filled (Jim gets one for the shop), but I definetly need to get a spare. I didn't have time to fire it up today & it's not likely I'll get time this weekend but next week I'm going to be raring to go. I seem to be feeling that hot glass withdrawal. Crochet & clay have been the latest "things".

If you like neckties keep an eye on my Dolphina33 ebay. There will be a few up & they are an excellent deal!!

Have a great weekend!!

Busy, Busy.....

The end of the school year is fast approaching & every time I turn around there is something new to add to the calendar. Makes it hard to stay on top of the art thing these days. I did, finally take a couple of pictures to show you what I've been up to. My torch had been seriously neglected for the last few weeks & when I finally did get around to firing it up I found that I was completely out of propane (darn!). I have yet to get around to going out to fill the tank but hopefully by this weekend I'll get it done. Propane tanks are something that I'm not fond of carrying around in the car (especially now that the weather is warming up) so I put it off until that's the only thing I have to get done.

First up on the pictures......I've been playing around with sculpting and one of the things I find most challenging are faces. This is one of my first ones, so please be kind. I'm really working on practice them.

The flower was just for the heck of it.

Next I've been crocheting chokers & jewelry.......we'll see where that leads to in the future. It was just one of the creative compulshions I've been having lately.

And my beaded orca necklace. One of those projects that's taken me "forever" to complete.

Any way, that's all I've got for today.

A Question

If you had a job that paid better than you had ever been paid in your life but your boss was a psycho, and I don't mean just a little bit nuts. I mean full blown should probably be committed but is still able to run a business, pyscho. Would you stay?? The answer in our house is NO. I have always taught my children that no matter how much money you make, you had better like what you're doing because in the end if you hate your job, it won't be worth it. My honey just learned that, the hard way. He truely tried to stick it out for as long as he could but in the end he just couldn't justify working for someone who was totally off their rocker. His boss literaly made the job a Hell On Earth. Luckily he literally walked from that job to another. The money isn't as good but his sanity is still intacked & he's a lot happier.

I'm still working with my glass, polymer & fiber. I will be teaching a wire ring class next month at the local Ben Franklin. I'm a little nervous but I think it'll be a ton of fun. I have a lot of pictures that I need to take to show you what I've been up to.

The end of the school year is fast approaching & the kids can hardly wait. We have new kids in the neighborhood & that's a bonus because they all get along. Who knows, maybe after the kids get out of school I'll be able to get more done ;).

All done for now.....TGIF

Just When You Thought Winter Was Over...

Woke up to about an inch of snow on the ground this morning, thankfully it's melting as fast as it came. The kids are on Spring break this week so it didn't make a difference as far as school goes.

Last week my sister & I went over to our Mom's and worked on some one-stroke painting. It was a blast! Pictures later.....

I'm supposed to be teaching a class at the local craft store next month & I'm still working to meet the deadlines for the beading contests.

And we went bowling for a late present to my 12 year old son over the weekend. What fun!! Unlimited bowling for 2 hours. My legs & arm sure felt it the next day.

I have to work on taking lots of pictures of what's up these days but today is not the day for that. The tax deadline is fast approaching & today I'm going to work on getting it done.

Enjoy your Monday!!

Taking A Turn......

It's been a whirlwind these last couple of weeks & this week isn't going to be any different. My deadlines for the contests are looming & I'm working to get everything completed in time. No pictures until I find out whether I made the cut or not.

I also have an appt. this week to find out about possibly teaching a class. I can hardly wait!! This is conference week for the kids & that's always interesting & my sister & I are going to see about taking a class in painting on fabric.

I just want to check in & let you all know that I haven't forgotten about ya!

I have another book recommendation. THE FOUR AGREEMENTS.......I read this several years ago but I just finished it again & it's definetly worth the read.....if you want to take steps to change how your life is going. Change isn't always easy but in most cases it's for the best. Step out of your comfort zone & see what's out there.

I'm also trying to live a healthier lifestyle. I think out of all the things I'm doing that is the hardest. There is a cool website called Sparkpeople.com, it's all about living a healthier life & lifestyle. There is tons of information on this site for people who want to lose weight or just get healthy. It's very cool & FREE!!

I have a few things up for auction on all of my sites. Check it out if you have the time.

Enjoy your Sunday!

Stranded.....

No car today. My honey had to work & my daughter had a tounament. I could have gotten up at 5AM and taken her but I felt like sleeping instead. Plus if I take her I have to pick her up and that usually means anywhere from 11PM to 1-2AM depending on how long the tournament runs. We do have one other vehicle but it runs when it wants to so I just prefer not to take it out until it's fixed.

Have I ever mentioned that we have a dog. She was an outdoor dog until she broke the lead on her dog run and now she is a permanent member of the inside of the house. She made the transistion with no problems. I was actually rather surprised. She hasn't had a single accident. She does like to chew & did ruin a mattress cover & one of the kids blankets, but I've taught her to chew the rawhide bones instead of burying them in imaginary dirt around the house. In truth I've never been a dog person. Cats have been my favorite for years but I really like the extra securtiy of having her around the house & I'm the one she usually shadows during the day. We are going to repair the lead so that she can have a chance to run on nice days & when we're gone, but she has been so good I can't imagine keeping her out all of the time.

I'm still working on my entries for the bead contests. I did put the last bit of glass up and some weekenders clothes that I have had around for years. I used to wear them but my style has changed a bit & I'm really working on thinning out my closet.

They are saying it's going to be stormy this weekend. Right now it's calm. Spring is definetely in the air. Don't forget to set your clocks ahead tonight. I really look forward to it staying lighter longer & it's gradually warming up. Yeah!!

Enjoy your weekend!

Good Morning!

I hope all is well with everyone. This has been a bumpy couple weeks for us and we are just starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It wasn't serious but definately had the potential to mess some things up. I can't talk about it online but it goes something like "life is what happens while your making plans".

All is good now & things have been busy. I went to a bead show with my Mom last weekend & if I had .......ooh......about $500 or so I could have done some serious bead shopping. Needless to say I was in heaven just looking & touching. We are planning to go to a larger one at the end of the month. There are two going on, one North & one South. We haven't decided which yet.

I'm in the process of getting ready to enter two major bead/jewelry contests. Both end around the beginning of April. I have one entry almost ready & a couple more in the works. Even to be a finalist in these is a big accomplishment so I'll just have to see how it goes.

My glass has taken the backburner at the moment. I have a few things I need to get up but mostly I'm trying to clear the house with the clothes & such that are taking up space & also get my taxes & paperwork done.

Remember me saying I wanted to teach a class?? Well, that may come true in the next couple of months. I'll keep you posted.

On the weather front the kids got another snow day last week, yesterday it was almost 70 and today we're back to the usual rain.......I think Mother Nature is laughing her head off right now.

Time for me to go get more done......hopefully pictures of something tomorrow.