Sunday, December 30, 2012

Seeing Christmas Stars

It was my intention to create a sky-scape of stars for Christmas but the weeks got away from me and my beading time got all shrunk.  I managed to finish this ONE today.  Hopefully I'll remember to start making some stars next summer or even in the spring.   They are so cute and just the perfect size.  I'll have a bit of beady time this week and I plan to go over Kate's Contemporary Geometrics that she so kindly offered on an early PDF.  These pieces are really a challenge and I'm so up to it!  Will try to be more faithful to the blog in 2013!

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

While He Was Out!!

Peter and I spent an extended weekend in Texas where my nephew was married.  While we were gone, I had my designer friend re-do his man room, formerly known as number three kid's room.  I've had lots of ideas and have wanted to do a makeover so he'd have his own space for a long time... like 4 years!  I just could not get it going.  Well, you get a designer type involved and the ideas flow all over the place.  He loves his motorcycles (Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki) and his books.  I thought he'd like a place to read and contemplate rides.  Everything was done while we were in Texas and he was soooooo surprised when he saw it for the first time yesterday.  Notice his keys are still in his hand!  This was fun, partly because he's a bit critical of the OMG moments on HGTV.  So this is Peter's OMG moment (which was really a "Holy Crap" moment).
Holy Crap!!!

Monday, November 5, 2012

Here's what's cool in my World


I've been beading away and life's busy (what else is new, right?)  I've been working on this amazingly cool zig zag bangle.  Very fun to create, lots and lots of beads!  I'm digging the results... it's looking kind of Christmas-y so I may play with that when I add the bells and whistles...hmmm bells... gotta think about that.  One of my beady heroes created the pattern: Kate McKinnon (not the one from SNL, but the cool Kate).  Another of my beading heroes, Jean Power who created this pattern (caldera bangle), this star pattern and much more, has asked to put my caldera on her fb page.  That is VERY COOL!! Thanks for the shout out, Jean!  These are things beady dreams are made of.  Makes me wish I was one of those who could quit the day job and bead, bead, bead all day long.  I really could do this all day. It's a passion, an expression, certainly a distraction and an attraction at the same time.  Love my beads!  Love my bead-y peeps.  Also, tonight I love my president and hope he's good for four more years.  Go Barack and Michelle!

Friday, September 28, 2012

Nothin' Better: Beads/Pandora

Does it get any better than that?  Clean house, day off, beads and pandora... oh and sunshine!  Last night we went to "Last Thursday" on Alberta in PDX.  A friend suggested we wait in line... no matter how long it was... to get ice cream at Salt and Straw.  Well that line wasn't THAT long (15 minutes).  I got the salt and carmel ripple with hot fudge!  Are you freaking kidding me?  That was the best EVER!  This is hand made ice cream... deeeeelish! Yum!  Here's what my face did when I taste it!!
Yummy!  Keep pdx weird so I can have ice cream like this!

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Kinda Diggin This

Okay, I'm a bit obsessed with Photoshop Elements.  I just got home from and work and I'm going to do another free webinar. Here's something that I played around with... took out Peter's wrinkles, did a couple of effects.  I think it looks cool.  This just happens to be what's on my desktop right now.  Sorry for repeating (three-peating) our bike ride.  It was a fun day to remember!  At some time I'm hoping to create digital scrapbooks with these photos.  Not the ones you that are pre-formatted but something I create and have printed.  It's kind of graphic design for dummies:)
Portland has been gloriously mild... no rain, no wind... occasional smoke from fires a couple hundred miles away.  September is the absolute best time to be in PDX.
Peter and Makenna on our bike ride.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Playing around with Photoshop

Makenna on our bike ride last week.
I just downloaded a trial version of Photoshop Elements 11 and look what I did in 10 minutes!  Pretty cool!  I think I may have to buy this one.  This newest version just came out and it's so easy to use.  Much more intuitive than PSE 8, which I've been so lazy about learning.  With some quick results I think this will give me some motivation and ease the frustration.  I know it's not great... but it's a first try.  Also beading away these days.  You'll soon see some really cool stuff here.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Biking the Springwater




Peter and I took our granddaughter biking on the Springwater Trail this weekend.  Peter's always on the lookout for sweet blackberries.  They weren't as abundant as they a were a few weeks ago, but we all loved them.  We ran into some folks with their dog and they told us the dog enjoyed the berries, too. We all know not to eat the berries on the low branches, right?  Some dogs eat the berries, some dogs just pee on 'em.  Fun day!
In the beading sphere, I'm working away on some stuff.  Life is pretty darn good right now:)

Friday, September 14, 2012

Bleached My Toms!

I thought I'd really get a kick out of wearing HOT PINK Toms but they were REALLY bright!  A little too bright.  And I just wasn't wearing them. So I bleached 'em today.  Just spray bleach-y water on them and dried them with the hairdryer.  Now they are a softer, hot pink.  Still bright, just a bit muted and a little rougher.  I think they turned out swell.
I wish days off were really days off and not laundry/cleaning days.  What would a REAL day off look like? Hmmm, I'll have to think about that!  I did manage to spend time with the iPad today and downloaded a killer app: puzzlejuice.  It's a hybrid of spelltower and tetris... LOVE both of those games.  So I did manage to pay some bills, do some laundry, clean up a closet, bathroom and kitchen and play a new game... guess that's a day off!
The formerly VERY pink Toms... now a quieter version that I'll enjoy!

Monday, September 10, 2012

Learning Photoshop (Elements)



I've been trying to learn Photoshop Elements for a few YEARS!  I somehow get stuck or my interest wanes and I just don't keep up.  Last week I attended a free webinar on Photoship Elements 10 (I have 8, I think).  Well, I got fired up!  So tonight I'm attending another FREE webinar.  I'm not pitching out any money yet... I don't think I should buy PSE 10 until I KNOW I'll use it!  Although I do really like that I can get PSE 10 as an app on my iMac (or possibly find a cheaper way to upgrade).  I have so many pictures that I'm not doing much with.  I'm hoping for some inspiration tonight. I'd like to create some cool and inspirational digital scrap books... not just the ones with pictures and text, but something that'll jump off the page!  I so wish there was this kind of technology when I was a kid and could absorb information with less difficulty.  Here's to 60 years of life and learning!

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Mardi Gras Cone

Still into creating these cool shapes from the book about to be published: Contemporary Geometric Beadwork.  This one is a cone. It was a great way to study that shape and gain an understanding of increasing and decreasing this pattern. When I sit and bead and feel my being restored.  Sundays ZAP my energy... these beady moments keep me sane.

Okay, it reminds me of the "sorting hat" from the Harry Potter movies... but it's very cool!

Saturday, September 8, 2012

More, More, More...

Yeah, Baby... I've been a beading maniac while on my bloggy break.
Check out these "Urchins"... pattern by Marcia DeCoster.  I made this one while we were spending some time in Sunriver, OR.  Which, by the way is a gorgeous place: biking, hiking, bonding with family, drinking a glass of wine.  We had a grand time on Memorial weekend (way last May!).  Even taught friends to bead while we were there.  Hope you're still beading, Nancy and Nat!  Check out the pics and I'll be back tomorrow, promise.  In the meantime, we've got a couple of grandkids to take to Spaghetti Factory... maybe we'll get lucky and be seated in the TROLLY!

Friday, September 7, 2012

Caldera Bangle

Sorry I haven't been keeping up on the blog... no excuses... summer, turning 60, whatever.  I'm back now.  I thought for two minutes about posting something amazing about being 60, entering a new decade and all that.  But I've been busy making some very cool beady pieces and I want to announce it far and near (mostly near) that I finally finished this piece:  "Caldera Bangle"

I know... pretty cool, huh?  The design is by Jean Power from a book about to be published by Jean and Kate McKinnon.  These women are amazingly talented, edgy and adventuresome souls.  This piece took me a while to bead.  Each beaded piece I create has a kind of internal timeline.  I can look at this and remember what was doing at the time.  I turned 60 on the red and blue triangle!  I watched both the RNC and the DNC while beading this.  I KNOW I had to rip out a BUNCH of beads during the Romney/Ryan show.  They just do not get the REAL LIVES of REAL people!  I finished this last night right before President Obama was introduced.  I wanted to give the man my full attention.  I'm so glad I put down the beads... I would've had a beady mess... what with the tears and all.  WOW!  So proud to be an American... I mean that in the best possible way.  
So the Caldera Bangle is finished!  I experimented with color, texture, light... very fun.  Some combinations of beads work better than others.  To be expected. 
I leave you with another pic of Caldera and I'll be blogging like crazy in the days to come!


Wednesday, May 9, 2012

BLhahahahaNDIE

AAACK... I can't believe I did this!  I'm really, really blonde!  Platinum blonde, white blonde, fake blonde!  Very hip, blonde?  Well, it was on my bucket list: go really, really blonde!  I hope this new color doesn't make me look really, really old!  As I look forward to my 60th birthday in a few months, I'm glad to check another box on the been-there-done-that side of the list.  I'll enjoy it while it's here, but don't think I have to do this again.
Getting ready to head over to Spokane for wine tasting this Mother's Day weekend.  Who among us Spokanites would have ever thought you'd use the city of Spokane in the same sentence with wine tasting?  We're doing the limo thing.  Jill's in-laws, Jill, me, my mom... three generations, pretty cool.  I'm looking forward to seeing how my dad is doing, too.  Still trying to keep up the blogging... I've kind've become a slacker-blogger.  Life is good and getting better all the time!  NO blonde jokes, please.

Be there, done that Blonde

Saturday, May 5, 2012

Mt. Tabor Photo Expedition

A couple of weeks ago, Peter and I took a hike on Mt. Tabor.  The fog was just lifting and the views were fantastic.  I'm trying to do more with photography.  I'm still  learning the camera I got for Christmas in 2010!  I guess I'm a slow learner.  But you really have to force yourself to get off "auto" mode.  So here I am forcing myself off "auto".
There are so many times I find myself running on autopilot.  Maybe we humans spend most of our time on auto, doing pretty much the same things day in and day out.  We forget to notice our surroundings, hug our loved ones, cherish our memories.  I'm trying to get off of auto mode more these days. I want to take more chances and check more things off the bucket list.  Note to self:  make a bucket list:)

A Few of my Favorite Things

These are some of my favorite things.  Playing music with friends (doesn't happen as often as I'd like); bedside reading, includes extremely edgy theology, beady magazines (the novel in on my iPad); BEADS, duh!!; my Grandmother's china; and my Apple stuff.
Have you ever asked yourself what you'd grab if your house was on fire?  Me, too! I'm not considering people or  any living things... of course we would all make sure our loved ones were okay.  But I don't really think I'd grab any of this STUFF in a fire.  I used to say I'd grab pictures, but the really important ones are digitized, on a hard drive.  I keep an external hard drive in a safe place that's not in our house.  Sure I ENJOY this stuff.  I really LIKE this stuff.  But it's STUFF.  Relationships and loved ones are most important.  I would not want to experience are house fire or catastrophe, but I'm reasonably sure I wouldn't go after STUFF if something like that happened.  Hmmm, I think I might grab my purse because it's pretty hard to replace the driver's license and credit cards.  What, if anything would you grab?

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

They made it HOME!

The family made it home in good order last night.  It was quite an event but all is well on the home front.  Tonight I plan to continue a beading project I've had to rip apart twice.  Third time's a charm, huh?  I'm hoping I'll be attentive enough tonight to keep going.  That's all I'm saying until I've got something to show for my time.  Although I do believe that every so-called mistake is an opportunity to learn.
I'm taking steps to "unravel"... see the e-course badge to the right.  It's all about family right now:)
With the grandkiddos...


Tuesday, April 17, 2012

It's all about Family



I know folks get curious when one goes for lengthy periods without updating the blog.  Since I have so few followers maybe there isn't curiosity, but this blog is also my way of keeping track, journaling this year.  So yes, plenty has been going on... and not much beading!  My parents winter in Yuma, AZ and this year, Dad got sick.   I've been down there twice in four weeks.  Dad was hospitalized 3 times and spent the last 6 weeks either in the hospital or a nursing home.  He's 87!  He's not too perky these days but my family just wanted to get him home, to Washington.  And the doctor wouldn't let him fly.  I asked if we could drive him home (they flew down and had been renting a car)... dr said he could go home by car... my brother, Dave flew to Yuma from Texas, I flew home to Portland yesterday (had one day with my big brother) and Dave took off with both parents yesterday heading "home".  Whew!  They should be home any time.  It's a 21 hour drive.  They are doing it in two days.  That's a lot.  My parents still live in our childhood home.  Life is changing.  Here are some dear pics:
Dad and me in Yuma, April 15th

Dave and Mom


Dad, just getting back to home in Yuma... sitting in the sun on the deck!




Tuesday, March 13, 2012

It's March, REALLY?

Front deck, 4 inches of snow.
It's March... and we woke up to 4 inches of snow.  So happy to be flying to Arizona later in the week.  It's not very "Portlandia" of me, but I'm SICK of this stinkin' weather!  We had a bit of sun last week, which was such a relief for my soggy, moldy, self.  I need the sun and soon!  It'll be nice to bask in 80 degrees of bliss for a few days.  I've got some good reads on the iPad, some awesome beading projects and fun visits planned with friends and family.  Yeah for vacations!  In the Winter!  When Portland is cold and snowy!
Poor little flowers... they just peaked through last week and now this!

Daffodils are a bit on the saggy side.  They'll be back!


Monday, February 27, 2012

Nostalgia

Clearing off my computer desk top gave me pause when I clicked on this picture, circa, 1963-ish.  I used the pic for a teaching illustration recently and (at the time) wasn't thinking about all this picture contained.  Now I reflect on this picture.  

That's me with my four brothers in front of our house in Spokane.  Cute little stair-step baby boomer family, right?  I notice my older brother is wearing his saddle shoes!  I'm wearing an outfit my mom made for me.  Another brother wears a sweater hand knit by our  Grandma.
My parents still live in our childhood home. The house we all grew up in.  The house where we witnessed life changes in one another.  The house where we all became teens... some were rebellious, others (me) less so.  The house where we celebrated wedding receptions and family reunions.  The house that still holds us together whenever we can all get "home" at the same time.  For almost 52 years, that old house has held our family memories, the joys, the pains, the hopes and dreams of us all.  My parents now "winter" in Arizona.  I look at the picture of all us then, in front of our house and the memories are so tender.
If I'm still feeling nostalgic later in the week, I may post a more updated picture.  Our family changed in 2006 when one of my brothers died.  Again, the house held all of us in our grief and gathered us under the eves and spread us out onto the patio to celebrate and remember.  It's so nice to have a "home" to visit and remember and be held in.
In a few weeks Peter and I are heading to Arizona to visit my parents in their home away from home.  It's not "home" but it's warm and SUNNY!

Monday, February 20, 2012

Happy President's Day

I took part of the day off and really needed to be creative.  I needed instant gratification, too.  I turned on Pandora, my Rufus Wainwright channel and then to Nora Jones... delightful!  Side note: Interesting to think about music choices while beading.  When I do complicated stuff, I tend to listen to Andre Bocelli.  Today was a day to be mellow.  So nice to have a late morning/early afternoon at home.  The weather is overcast and typical Portland.  The light in my studio is really good, though.  I use two Ott lamps and then there is natural, filtered light (it's Portland, always filtered light... bright sun is rare).  So here's what I made:
Are those AGE SPOTS on MY wrist?  Nay freckles, cute bracelets, that's all.
Here are four cute little bracelets.  Here are the links to the instructions: then   wrapped bracelet and the braided bead bracelet  All are super easy, instant gratification.  I got some PINK jeans and so for three of the four bracelets I used rosy pink Irish linen waxed cotton thread... gotta love.  Could spring be here soon?  The crocus' are up.  That's a good sign.  Here are all of the bracelets together.  Happy President's Day.  I wearing my pink jeans to a work meeting tonight:)

Monday, February 13, 2012

Trading

I think it's pretty cool to trade earrings for services or things that you crave.  I've sold some earrings, taught some classes, but today I made a TRADE.  My friend, Annie is teaching me chords on the piano in exchange for earrings.  She thinks she is getting a good deal.  Having taken piano lessons as a kid and as an adult it never clicked for me.  Annie happens to be a school teacher and she has a knack for getting her point across (sometimes).  She gave me a half hour lesson and I gotta say, something clicked.  I learned to read music as a kid... something I've know forever... I sing, I play some guitar and uke but tonight, I'm getting how to create a 7th or and a "sus" chord on the PIANO!!  Thanks Annie!  She also made excellent cheeseburgers for Peter and me.  I'm also learning this:
Circle of fifths
You are never too old to learn.  I've wanted to figure this out for YEARS.  Now I'm motivated and making some progress.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

When Life Offers You Lemons

Look what arrived in the mail today!  Our good friends Larry and Linda moved to Arizona in 2010.  We miss them sooo much.  But the GOOD thing about living in Arizona?  These!!  They send us LEMONS fresh from the tree.
Lovely Lemons from L and L
Last year we made these:
For best results, sugar the rim... yum!


And these:

Hollowed out lemon half with candle
What to do this year?  Stay tuned.  I can't make the lemon drops tonight... but tomorrow there may be one or two in my future.  Last year someone asked me why I didn't make lemon meringue pie with them.  Really?  And waste them?  Besides I don't eat desert unless it's chocolate.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Finished Dragon

Dragon Bangle, Nancy Jones pattern, Beadwork, Feb/Mar 2011
I finally have something finished to show.  Work has been busy and stressful and my beading time hasn't been productive.  Beading is my refuge, my meditative time and I know I'm better when I'm beading.  Last night I had a quiet house, a glass of red wine, some dark chocolate and lots of beautiful beads in front of me... and time... so I finished this piece.  

As I said in a previous post, this pattern was really tough to get started.  It felt like my fingers were too big to manipulate the beads.  I learned that placing the funky, magatama drop beads with the steep side up made them easier to grab and placed them in the proper position when sewn into place.  I'm not a fan of brick stitch.  I'm not sure of the integrity of a piece that is hooked together thread to thread.  But this pattern was so intriguing and looked cool in the magazine.  I'm going to wear this today.  

I'm off to get a hair cut... I'm going short again.  Love the pixie do... but fast-growing hair, I have to return often to keep it short. 

This afternoon I plan to straighten out the bead studio and work on some new projects.  I really want to do some of my own designing with seed beads but it's a little daunting.  Throwing together earrings or bracelets or necklaces with chain and beads is comfortable for me... if I don't like a design it can be taken apart quickly and re-worked. Designing cool ways for seed beads to be woven together will be a challenge for me.  From previous attempts, I know I will have to re-work and re-make the false starts... that's what has discouraged me before.  Am I up for it?  Well, I have patience and tenacity... so I think I'm up for it.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Catching Up

Tonight I spent some time getting caught up.  These earrings are Christmas gifts!  The ones receiving them know what they are receiving and I'll be happy to deliver them.  I have a pair of these that I made for myself a couple of years ago and I wear them a lot.  They match everything, they're kind of funky and very fun.  I love Vintaj antique brass.  This look was inspired by something I saw on their website a long time ago.  Anyhoooo... Back to beading my DRAGON bangle.
Super-cute earrings!

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Dragon Bangle

I'm making the Dragon Bangle pattern by Nancy Jones found in Beadwork Magazine, Feb/Mar 2011.  It was sooooo difficult to get it started.  I tried to begin this one while I was at a lecture but the light was terrible, I couldn't see the thread bridges and the Magatama Drops have an up side and down side.  I think it took me four false starts before I got the right tension and the figured out how to pick up those drop beads.  Actually, it took a glass of wine and some SOLID self talk, "I can DO this!" to make it happen.  Now, it's a super easy pattern and I really like the way it's turning out.  The beads are really funky and I LOVE the look.  Here's what I've got so far:
Dragon Bangle, in the beginning.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Made it Through the Snow

I had a conference in Canon Beach Monday through today.  The roads were pretty snowy heading over the pass.  I didn't drive.  My friend Aimee drove and did a great job... even had to chain up!  The kinda fun part was that we met many colleagues in the chain-up area.  For those of you reading this and wondering why we Western Oregonians chain up in the heavy snow here are a few reasons:  First, when chains are required you better put them on... 2 of my colleagues received tickets ($160) for not chaining up.  Second, the snow is different in Western Oregon.  It snows and melts, and snows... it's really wet and there are few snow plows here.  Third, most people don't have snow tires because a boat load of snow is rare and comes and goes quickly.
Having grown up with snow in Eastern Washington, I KNOW how to drive in the stuff.  That said, the snow I grew up with was colder and drier.
Whew, good to be home... time for wine!
Taken on Monday on my iPhone (from the car.)


Sunday, January 15, 2012

Scrabble, Old School

Peter and I have been playing Words with Friends A LOT lately.  When we finish a game we get a new one going.  Today it's  snowy and we've spent the afternoon inside, reading and lounging around.  I thought it'd be fun to play Scrabble, old school.  I set up the board and as we played we both kept saying, "Words with Friends" is so much easier.  Yeah, duh, you don't have to ADD the scores when you play WWF, you can always have the board facing you, and there's nothing to set up or clean up.  We'll probably get a WWF game going after dinner.  It felt kind of good to play with the real tiles but I do like the game on my iPhone.  It's also fun to have lots of games going at once.  Alec Baldwin was playing WWF when he got kicked off that plane a couple of weeks ago.  It's addictive.  But hey, if you're on a plane?  Really?
I set up this picture because I don't know if I'll ever use this board again.

Friday, January 13, 2012

From Another Planet?

I was just settling into my beading nest when Peter asks me if I've looked at the sky.  He says, "It looks like we live on another planet."  Cool... I've ALWAYS thought that there was a parallel universe, which could be another planet... maybe I just turned into the other "me" who lives on another planet.  The planet where the sky is pink and PURPLE at night and the trees are three tones of yummy.  Whatever planet I'm on, there are great views from my deck.  These are our neighbor's trees.  Sometimes, in the summer, I wish they'd cut them down but tonight I rather like them.  Thanks, Peter for helping me notice the beautiful sunset tonight.  Another planet, yeah right!  Right?

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Miz Mooz

They got here!  My very cool, GREEN, Miz Mooz ALEX sandals.  They're not really wearable in Portland right now but we're heading to Arizona in March and they will get plenty of use in the warm southwest.  My friend, Annie (who happens to wear size 7 just like me), tried on my golden Miz Mooz sandals last summer and bought three pair... red, golden and black.  She definitely got one of the last red pair in the country.  But I got some GREEN ones (check out yesterday's post where I talk about my affinity with GREEN.)  I'll soon have a lovely black pair of sandals, too.  It's kind of weird to have the same style shoes in three different colors, but hey, if the shoe fits!!!

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Adding Green

I needed a fast project last night and I was paging through the Dec. 2011 Bead and Button Magazine and found "Neptune's Garden" by Carol Horn... and guess what?  The pictured sample was GREEN and PURPLE.  That reminded how much I love GREEN.  My brother used to say GREEN was his favorite color because it was the color of money (back when we were teens and we thought money grew on trees)... I like GREEN because it's a refreshing color and living in Oregon I see plenty of GREEN.  GREEN trees, GREEN hills, GREEN grass, it's everywhere in this GREEN state.  I really notice the GREEN when I've been away from Oregon for a while.  When you've been in Denver or Arizona or Wisconsin or New York for a week or a weekend and return home, you get off the plane and breathe. You really do notice the green, the freshness of the air, the trees, the mountains.  When you have lots of GREEN it means there's plenty o' rain.  But on the sunny, fresh days, there is no where better than Portland.  Some say Portland is a weird place... well, put a bird on it and it's great.

Anyway, as I was saying, GREEN is another fav color.  I'm going to put way more purple in those flowers than what's in the sample... and I'll change it up some.  But I really like the look of diagonal peyote stitch. I also like the PURPLE beads I have on the outside edges. This picture doesn't show it very well... but they are quite pretty.

Monday, January 9, 2012

More Purple

Okay, yeah, I'm still rockin' purple... or lavender or amethyst.  These are some earrings I just finished.  Thanks to Marcia DeCoster and her amazing and I mean AMAZING book:  Beaded Opulence.  This pattern is called "Medici Drop".  I think these earrings are sooooo cute and sophisticated.  But the purple thing... see how cool the nail polish is?  Obviously I'm wearing some purple every day.  I may wear these earrings tomorrow, during the day, just because I can.
Do NOT look closely at my cuticles, they need some OIL:)  Just look at the purple!

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Youngest Grandson Turns Three

Yesterday Cal turned three years old.  He was so excited to have the day be all about him.  He loved the balloons, the pizza, the cake and ice cream.  But mostly loved the love.  And don't we all.  Have a lovely day.

Friday, January 6, 2012

When I'm Old I'll ROCK Purple!

Purple Glasses, Purple Nails, Purple Earrings (can't see 'em), Purple Sweater, Purple Scarf
I didn't really know that I LOVE PURPLE until today.  I just got my nails shellacked with PURPLE.  Last year I got PURPLE (ish) glasses. I have a few pairs of PURPLE earrings. I love the PURPLE scarf that I got last year on Mackinac Island, MI.
When the clock struck 12 on January first and 2012 showed it's beautiful face it heightened my awareness once again the in seven months I'll have a birthday that ends with a big, fat, lovely ZERO. Yup, the big SIX-OH is coming fast.  So why not PURPLE?  Then, I remembered this little poem and it seems to fit where I may (or may not) be going...

WHEN I AM AN OLD WOMAN I SHALL WEAR PURPLE
By Jenny Joseph
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick the flowers in other people's gardens
And learn to spit.

Not to worry, I don't see myself joining a "Red Hat" group any time soon.  I prefer red wine to brandy. I wear gloves in the summer only when I weed!  I prefer Miz Mooz ALEX sandals (check them out, so cute and I just ordered the GREEN ones) to anything satin. AND I learned to spit (through my teeth) from my brother, Dave. Getting old-ER doesn't mean OLD.  My Mom's not OLD and she has a kid who's going to be 60 this summer (and a son who is 62).  
Remember that Clairol commercial from the OLDEN days?  "You're not getting older, you're getting better!"  Yeah!  So let's all ROCK some PURPLE!  

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Chocolate and Organizing

I am so addicted to chocolate.  I'm trying to eat my way out of the Christmas stash and once it's gone I can cut back.  If it's in the house, it's soooo getting eaten... by me!  I LOVE it!  I made some of that nasty/yummy fudge... you know that stuff.... marshmallow creme, chocolate chips, WHITE sugar... mmmm.  It's almost gone... so good frozen.  The Almond Roca is almost gone.  Then it'll be back to occasional dark chocolate and maybe a small red wine chaser.
Tonight I'm finishing organizing the bead studio.  I got some shelves at Home Depot and they went together very easily.  I'm not finished but here's what I've got so far.
Enough talk, I gotta get back to organizing, then beading something spectacular.  But first I'm going down to the fridge and see if there's one more hunk of fudge in there.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

I'm Back!


Whew!  We made it through another holiday season.  It's not easy in my profession.  The season between Thanksgiving and Christmas is EXHAUSTING!  I'm back in the swing of things now.  I'd say that I will blog more in 2012, but that would sound like a resolution and I resist them!  I do enjoy the blog and I know that my readers (mostly family) have missed reading my muses.  So here ya go!
I wanted to use this great picture of Peter helping tie ribbon to the tags for the earrings that I sold at Joel's awesome jewelry sale.  I did pretty well.  My goal is to earn enough to pay for my stash and I almost did that (well, not really, but Peter might read this).  I put the earrings on little Christmas trees and they looked real cute.  

I'm liking Dragon Flies these days... don't know why... I think they are going out of style but they do look cool.
Today I am organizing.  Youngest son inherited Grandpa Carl's homemade bookcases (which were too big for my beading space) so I got some nifty shelves at Home Depot today.  I've put them together and they fit under my sorting area.  I'll have some pics tomorrow, when things are put away, labeled and looking good.
Well that's enough for today.  I'm BACK!  Thanks for your patience... whomever "you" are:)