Monday, August 31, 2009

My bad...

I haven't posted in a few days. That's terrible. It's been a heck of a week/weekend! School officially started last Thursday, and this has been one of the busiest, yet productive few days I have spent in a long while. Here's the rundown, if you are interested... (well of course you are interested, that's why you're here, right?) :)
Let's take it back to last Monday. Meghan decided that she didn't feel well at around 4pm. Headache, sore throat, no appetite, fever. Ugh, my heart went into my feet. If you're a mom, you know those signs, right? Strep throat. So I waited until Tuesday to call the doctor, because they make you wait 24 hours anyway to do a culture. So in we went late afternoon, and sure enough it was nothing but a summer virus. She was advised to drink plenty of fluids and get lots of rest. *sigh*
You'd think I spoke a foreign language here... I told her that too, but I guess she needed me to pay for the advice because she listened to the doctor!! Slept all day on Wednesday, and felt much better come Thursday morning. She was all bright eyed and bushy tailed for her first day of school! Great! I thought, that ended well.
Thursday and Friday at school went awesome. No tears, no problems. Got two kids off to their respective schools and back home no worse for the wear. It was a nice end to the week.
Clay and I had big plans for the weekend, so despite me only getting two hours of sleep Friday night, we got up bright and early Saturday morning and started the "move". Last year Clay made Meghan a bed that was suspended from her ceiling, so that she would have more room in her tiny bedroom (she gave up the bigger bedroom for the boys to share, willingly... so I wanted to do something cool for her new smaller room). Needless to say, she outgrew the bed. Started hitting her head on the ceiling when she sat up (how, I ask you? No idea, she's not a giant! But whatever!) So we took the bed down and gave her back her beautiful wood Pineapple bed and moved the hanging bed into the boys room. It now belongs to Jack and he is THRILLED beyond belief!
So getting back to the two hours of sleep...my youngest son decided to come to bed with us at around 2am. He's a sprawler. By 4am I had completely lost my side of the bed, and was so uncomfortable that I came down for a cold drink and to sleep in the recliner. Well, the cold drink didn't happen. The refrigerator (yes the new one), was warm. Uh-oh. I turned up the coldness on it and went to sleep. When I woke up at 6am, I checked on it and it was warmer than it was two hours earlier. I thought, you have GOT to be freakin' kidding me with this! So in the midst of all the moving things around on Saturday, we also had to defrost the refrigerator for the second time in 10 days, and I lost a whole bunch of stuff again. BIG FAT BUMMER! I still have not gone grocery shopping, and we have a technician coming out Thursday to look at it. Clay got it running again...so far, so good!
Anyway, the beds were moved, the desks moved, the rooms cleaned the house cleaned, the laundry done...ALL OF IT. That never happens. We were leaving for haircuts at 4:30pm and Jack says "I don't feel good, I have a headache and a sore throat". Oh NO! He caught the virus too. Thank goodness he had all of Saturday night and Sunday to recover, and he went to school today no problems. I'm just waiting...for my turn...and I'll get it probably Friday night because I have a wedding to do on Saturday. Think positive, think positive.
Today was a good day, I even washed my whole bed...all the bedding, everything! I went upstairs to remake the bed and found that my youngest blessing had been laying on the bed playing a video game and had left me a lovely present...yep, that's right. He peed on my bed. ARGH! I can't win. So thank goodness that I had already washed everything but the mattress pad cover (it's in the dryer as we speak) and while I waited I made some pretty jewels!! YAY!
That's what you were waiting to hear right! That I made jewelry!!
Photo's to come tomorrow. It's supposed to be a beautiful day!
I wonder what trouble will present itself tomorrow. *AHEM* Think positive, think positive!
:)

Thursday, August 27, 2009

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

I seriously laugh my butt off every time I see that Staples commercial with the guy sliding through the aisles, with his leg in the air putting school supplies in the cart! Love the pouty faces on the kiddo's as they watch their dad act like a crazy person!
There were no pouty faces on my first day of school kids today! There were only smiles.
It's been a long day, driving to two schools in the am, and back again in the afternoon but the first day is officially under our belts!
I've been slacking on the jewelry. Getting back into a routine is proving to be harder than I thought. I'm definitely shooting for tonight or tomorrow to get something made. Even a pair of earrings. I have to make SOMETHING! That's my goal...let's see if I can attain it!
Meg's off to Middle School!
Jack's happy for Kindergarten!
Matt is not going to school yet (he's only three) but next year he'll be in Pre-K! We didn't want him to feel left out so here he is sportin' his Red Sox backpack and of course, his juice box!


Saturday, August 22, 2009

My photoless posts are boring!

I went three posts without a picture...BORING!
So in an effort to entertain you, here is one of my favorite pictures that my parents took from the beach. I actually think this is quite funny! My boys are very active. I guess this is one way to get them to sit still!
Going to a birthday party in a little bit and then my plan for later on is to come home, pick up a bit and start designing. I thought up this AWESOME necklace last night in my mind as I was laying in bed for hours, just tossing and turning. The humidity is terrible, even with the air conditioning on. Everything just feels wet. Yuck. I was up watching a movie until 2am...even considered purchasing hair extensions off of QVC! LOL! Oh my gosh, I must be crazy!
Needless to say, I did not make any purchases, I just watched, played on my laptop and tossed and turned.
But the necklace in my mind was really killer! I hope I can transfer the design to my hands!! We'll see how it comes out, check back later on!

Friday, August 21, 2009

A Hurricane, a birthday party and baby pictures...

Hurricane Bill is working it's way closer to CT, and we are in for a bumpy ride this weekend! The thunderstorms have just begun so I'm posting now and then shutting the computer down for a while. The weekend weather holds lots of rain and wind. I think it's going to miss us but we are up for some wild weather regardless! My daughter was supposed to go to the beach this weekend with a friend, but that's been cancelled due to the rain. The waves I'm sure will prove to be unswimmable. Is that a word?

Tomorrow is my nieces 3rd Birthday party. That is, if my sister decides to keep it scheduled for tomorrow. If Sunday's weather looks better, she'll move it to later in the weekend. I don't blame her a bit. With a bunch of kids and adults in attendance, things can get kinda hairy when you're all cooped up inside the house! Perhaps Sunday will be better.

And finally, on Sunday morning I'll be helping out a friend who broke her wrist to take some infant portraits. I love babies!! Can't wait to see this little smoocher! I've got to pull out some of my props from the closet and see what I can pull together in my mind. I'm sure she'll have some great ideas as well so I'll just carry forth her plan for the session and maybe throw in a picture or two of my own ideas.
So that's my weekend in a nutshell! Had to interrupt this post due to a power outage! DARN!! I hate that! So I'm wrapping it up and shutting her down for while.
Stay tuned for new pieces. With nothing but rain on the horizon, I'm sure there will be lots of time to design!!
:)

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

New Fridge!

Well we found a fridge! We went to the Scratch and Dent place like we always do, and found one that was exactly the same as the one that we have!! I was so happy! But that's not the one we got. LOL! I was torn between that and a side by side that had an Ice and Water machine in the door. I've never had one of those and it might encourage me to drink more water. We had the hookup here when we bought the house so that was not an issue. And I'm just so happy to have found something that we got for 50% off the original price. It's black (just what I wanted - NO FINGERPRINTS!) and has plenty of room and when I went there early this afternoon it was marked down 35%. When we went back with the truck and the hubby for consultation, they were marking things down more. So I asked about this one and she just smiled and said, how's 50% work for you? UM, heck yeah! I'll TAKE IT! Good deal, got it home in under an hour and managed to salvage everything but the Popsicles and the milk/dairy products. I will replace those tomorrow. So all's well that ends well. I'm off to bed and I'll be in a much better frame of mind to create tomorrow! :) Thanks to all for the kind words!

Darn!!

There's been an official "Heat Wave" in CT the past few days! Lordy, I never thought with the way the summer was going that I'd ever say that! But man, it's hot out there! And to top it all off I have to go refrigerator shopping today! Ours has been making this humming noise for about a month now. I keep asking the hubby, don't you think we should do something about that? He says..no...we'll worry about it when it breaks. Hmph, that day has come! The darn thing is broken, and on one of the hottest days of the year yet!
So, I'm taking the kiddo's off to the doctor for their school physicals, and then going shopping for a new fridge. I'm mad too because although most people would be excited about the prospect of a nice new shiny clean fridge, I am not. Ours is only 5 years old (if that) and I really REALLY liked it! Had the freezer on the bottom that swung open, not pulled open like a drawer. Had really GOOD vegetable bins, you know with the settings for each drawer to keep everything very fresh. Ugh, not happy.
I'll let you all know what I find. I told my husband that we should just get something inexpensive and make due... and HE said "You are here all day long, don't you want something that you like... get what you want"! Um, I had to check him for a fever... Good gravy, he never says that!! The heat must be getting to him! LOL!
I'll try to be practical but I want one just like I have. My poor broken fridge. :(
Stay tuned!

Friday, August 14, 2009

These were calling to me from the bead box...

"OOOOH, Pick me, Pick Me!!" These beads stood up tall this afternoon just begging to be played with! I'm so glad I listened to them! This is a super fun bracelet, and the colors are TO DIE FOR!
"Fields of Moss"
Made with beautiful mossy colored etched glass rounds and a heart focal made by Jenelle of SFD. There are also some "Margarita Wheels" from Catherine Ondrey, accented by Olivine and Light Olivine Swarovski's, Leaf beads and leaf charms. Silver toggle! Love, love love~!
Love this one.
The earrings match and hang from Sterling Silver ear wires with Peridot stones in them.
"Early Fall"
Even though these have dangling leaves, the color in the beads is almost what you see at the beginning of the Fall Season. There's green with hues of brown's coming through. Cones made by Carey, and yes... I'm asking for more because I love these! You hear that Carey?? :)
"Oil Slicks"
Beautiful square beads made by Melissa Rediger, in a charcoal color with swirls of blue on top. The way the color sits on these reminds me of spilled oil, which may sound weird but have you ever looked at the pretty colors in there?

Well, the family is coming home tonight! My clean house will no longer be clean. But it's ok, I do miss them! The weekend will be beautiful weather wise, which is good because the kids can go outside and I can play with my beads! Look for more to come!

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Cloudy skies...not pretty!

Just quoted the weather man, he said that today had "Cloudy skies...not pretty". I'll say. But I managed to get outside around 5pm when the drizzles stopped to snap some shots of last nights beading session.
"Bewitched"
Made with some awesome glass beads from Jenelle (and Daniel) of SFD, Beads and Botanicals.
Accented by Fire Opal Swarovski Crystals and twisted Heishi spacers. I love the toggle on this one. The pattern looked haunting and I even made a little witches hat of sorts out of a Bali cone and some crystals dangling out of it.
"Blue Lagoon"
I loved these beads the second I saw them. They are made by Lea of LA Jewelry Design. The colors are so pretty and I love the depth in them. I accented them with Caribbean Blue Opal and Olivine Swarovski Crystals and Bali Spacers.
"Nefertiti's Muse"
Oh man, this one is killer. To start off, there is an AWESOME focal bead made by my dear friend Carey. Then, there are black organic seeds made by Jenelle of SFD. Along with those are some golden amber discs made by Polychrome Beads. Accented by Jet and Light Colorado Topaz Swarovski Crystals, Spiral beads and twisted spacers. The silver toggle tops it off and below are the matching earrings.
Fit for a queen!
Still thinking of a name for these, but I just love them! Bali bead caps and spacers, Olivine and Jet Crystals, and really fun glass beads!
UPDATE: These have been named "Wicked" at the suggestion of Erin at Tesori Trovati! Thanks Erin!! Love it!
"Cotton Candy"
I had to have these beads that Melissa made. I saw them and loved the shape and color. Accented by silver spacers and Violet crystals, they look good enough to eat.
Going to see what I can get done tonight, so stay tuned for more to come!

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Been a busy bee today!

I am so loving my vacation! I did a bunch of miscellaneous things today that rarely get done. Like washing the bathroom rugs and the blankets that get tossed on the couch, etc.
I puttered around the house for most of the day, went out and got an iced coffee...which was terrible. So I went back out and got another one from a different D&D. Don't you just hate that? But I really wanted it and I haven't been out everyday to get one like I usually do, so I guess I made up for it today.
I also sat this evening and made some jewelry! Photo's to come tomorrow (Because I started late and it's already dark and raining). Tomorrow will be a good photo day.
I made 3 pairs of earrings, 2 bracelets and a necklace and earring set. They are "wicked" cool!
Do you think you can figure out what color scheme I went with? LOL! No, you can't because they are all over the place. But I did make one bracelet that I'm calling "Bewitched" because it's black and orange and it's very Halloweenish. I did one summery one called "Blue Lagoon" and the necklace set I'm still working on the name. I'm thinking along the lines of "Nefertiti's Muse". It's really pretty, very royal looking being Black and gold with all kinds of silver mixed in. I'll be working on more tomorrow, and I promise to get pictures up first thing.
I think now I will grab a little snack and get into the jammies! It's so nice to be able to call it a day when I want to call it a day. No one to Boo or Hiss at me! :)
They'll all be home soon! My vacation is winding down, but I still have a couple more days!

Blog Award!

Lea Avroch of LA Jewelry Designs sent me a Blog Award!
How cool is that? Thanks Lea!
I'm supposed to mention 5 things that I love:
I love my husband and three beautiful children.
I love designing with artisan crafted glass beads.
I love all the friends I have made online on my jewelry designing adventure.
I love taking pictures.
I love finding inspiration in the little things around me.
Now I need to send this award to 10 of my favorite Blogs. These ladies keep me entertained on a daily basis and I truly love visiting their sites!
(here they are in Alphabetical Order):
Hope you enjoy ladies, and thanks again Lea!

Monday, August 10, 2009

The reason I do what I do...

I started really enjoying photography after my daughter was born. It was always a hobby, and through the years I started to do more with it. But when I really sit and think about it, my favorite style of photography has to be the child portraiture. I just love kids and their simple innocence. There's no drama, no problems, no stress. I love to just follow them around and let them be...themselves!
Prime example...Here is my niece, Keira. I do her portraits every year when we go to the beach. My nickname for her is "Miss Thing" because she is such a pip! She talks with so much character and her true self shows in these pictures. She was having a blast and cracking my sister, my father and I up the whole time we were walking around.
I've re sized a few of my favorites to send to my sister on email, but thought I'd upload them to share here too. (They may be a little grainy due to the size, but you get the idea of what I'm talking about).
Pure innocent fun!
Oh to be a kid again!

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Road Trip!

Today I'm taking a small road trip and headed to RI so I can hang with the family. I did a wedding yesterday while they were leaving and I have to tell you it was SO quiet in the house when I got home! Loved it! There was no screaming, no crying, no fighting (well except the occasional cat fight - literally) and I got a lot of pictures edited already. Stayed up until 1am and that was all I could take. Fell right to sleep, and woke up early. Ahhhhhhh the sound of peace and quiet...it's really really really nice.
Just to let you know my schedule for Monday through Friday this week while the house is mine...I'll be trying to get in many hours of designing each day in between editing pictures. I get to spread my time between my two jobs alone instead of 14,000 of them! Hoping the get the house all spiffy when I get back later and then it will stay that way! WOW! I'm almost too giddy! I hope you'll check back throughout the week to see what's going on!

Friday, August 7, 2009

Can you say fun?

That's what these earrings are! Fun fun fun! My mom called me yesterday and told me to quickly turn on the television where she saw a cute pair of silver earrings. She really liked them and promptly told me that I could do something like that! Well naturally I rose to the challenge! I went digging in my stash and sat for a few minutes and decided how I wanted to put them together in my own special way, and Viola! Here they are! So that you don't think I'm a total slacker, these are two of the bead sets that I got from Pumpkin Hill Beads at the show last Sunday. The colors are really cool, and the purple ones are triangles. They are too wild! :) The movement is incredible, and the circles just twist around. I love them! Going to search for more parts to make some in different varieties and make some more. I hope you like them!
Isn't inspiration a great thing? :)

Thursday, August 6, 2009

I'm babysitting!

I'm babysitting tonight for my nieces and nephews, so along with my own three kids, it's six against 1! Time for popcorn and a movie, so the fighting can stop and "Auntie", that's me can play on Facebook!! LOL! I made two AWESOME pairs of earrings tonight inspired by something my mom saw on TV and called me to look at earlier. Made my own glass versions and I love them!! Since I'm not at home, the photo's will have to wait until tomorrow!
Hope you all have a great night, the buzzer just went off on the microwave, and movie madness is about to begin! :)

Monday, August 3, 2009

Happy Monday everyone! And what a Monday it is! I had a great contest on my Facebook Fan page this weekend, so thanks to everyone that signed up and participated! I am going to do it again soon, so if you want to take part, then hop over and join me!! It was a blast!
I'm moving really slowly today. It was a long weekend! Friday night my parents took the kids for an overnighter and my hubby and I went out to the Casino! LOL! We never go anywhere so may as well go big! And even though we lost what we went with, we still had fun together. It's nice to have a date with your husband every once in a while! Then Saturday, my parents took the kids to the beach for the day. What a beautiful day they had! Sunny, warm (upper 80's) and they had so much fun! They stayed at the beach longer than I expected, but I guess they were behaving and didn't want to leave. Then they went out for pizza on the way home! My parents rock! What did Clay and I do Saturday, you ask? In an empty house with no children?? Well, I'll tell you we did nothing! :) We slept in, went to Dunkin' Donuts for breakfast, then went shopping for clothes for Clay since most of his wardrobe has seen better days. Then came back and vacuumed out my car (oh my god, my seats are trashed! I know I'm not alone, and anyone who has kids will sympathize with me. I think if I ever trade it in, I'll have to pay them to take it! What a mess!). Then Clay worked in the yard and waited for the kids to come home and I went and got a haircut, and had dinner out with Ann. It's been a busy yet relaxing weekend! Loved every minute of it!
But back to reality now... I'd like to get cracking on some new stuff. I went to a Bead Show Sunday and met Susan Sheehan! She is so nice! Plus I got a couple of new sets to play with. I love her beads!! You can find a link to her store in the sidebar if you want to check them out. She must have thought I was nuts! You know I get all excited around the beads and what is my favorite saying? "SHUT-up", exactly! Said with love and I was just pumped over the color combo I put together! LOL! It's all good! :) And it was really nice to meet you Susan!
Then I found a new vendor that I had not seen before and she makes porcelain pendants. I loved them! I'm getting really into those now! Plus, I am a good bargain shopper! I would have loved to buy some full price pieces, but instead I went digging in the "seconds" bowl. I found some beautiful things in there that were just slightly off... I don't care! Gives them character! So beautiful! I have to find her card so I can share her website with you... I'll get back to that in a bit.
Hope you all had a fun weekend too! Check back to see what I make with my new finds! I'll try to get a picture up too, sorry...like I said...I'm moving slowly today! :)