Florida Trip: Family and Friends

It has taken me a little while to post the pictures from our trip to Florida, it has been a bit crazy for the last few weeks, or rather months. But I did want to share a few pictures of family and friends.


Here is my beautiful mother, it is hard to believe she is 81 years old!

Here are friends Sheila, who was the matron of honor at our wedding, and Pierre one of the groomsman.



Could this be my next house? No! But we think this is a lovely house, from the front door you can see the water behind the house. We were driving around town and stumbled across this new subdivision, Cove Pointe, which use to be military housing area. Just look at the Spanish moss hanging from the trees. I'm ready to pack!

Summer Bible Study

I've been invited and accepted to participate in a 8-week Bible study called No Other Gods by Kelly Minter with two other ladies.

One of the things that stood out for me in the explanation of the difference between a professed god versus a functional god, it stated, "a professed god is who or what we say our god is; a functional god is who or what actually operates as our god". This is going to be a great Bible study!

We have been challenged with a memory verse:

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Jude 1:24-25 (NASB)

Groundhog Day?

Here is another visitor to our backyard. Ginger the groundhog, she always seems to know when Eric cuts the grass, because as soon as he has finished she is out nippling the fresh cut clovers. Last year there was another much larger one, but we haven't seen her lately.

The sweetest leaves are always much higher. She kind of looks like she on the verge of smiling!

I am amazed at how fast groundhogs can run, Ginger is no light weight but she can move out when alarmed.

Ginger, who thinks everyday is Groundhog day.

Freshly cut clovers, yummy!

Busy as a bee...

I've been busy as a bee, well not really, but I've made a couple of bracelets, earrings, and re-strung a bracelet and necklace. Thank you to all who have left a comment on the bracelets (or anything else), and to those who e-mailed their comments, I really appreciate your kind words! It has been very encouraging for me.

"Blueberry" asked if beading is hard, no - if I can do it, anyone can. Trust me on this one! My journey with beading started when the kids and I took a beading class to make bracelets for the Grandma's, I was hooked from that day. I'm an information junkie so I checked out a few books from the public library, went to every bead store in town to see completed work and look at all the beautiful beads. The beading books with pictures will help you learn the different types of beads. I went to one bead store and the lady was showing me some lampwork beads, I thought they were the beads used as fringe on a lamp! Knowledge is a great thing. I do enjoy going to the bead store, the ladies are always so helpful and you learn so much!

If you are the slightest bit interested in making your own jewelry, I suggest you take a beginning class, both the bead stores and craft stores offer classes. Most are free and you don't need any tools to create your piece. Then if you want to join in on the beading fun they will be able to help you get your basic tool and beads needed to make your own jewelry.

For me trial and error has been a great teacher! You learn quickly what you like and dislike. Crimping has been my thorn, I bought a different crimping tool and the problem is solved. Here is a picture of my original crimping tool, Bead Smith Magical Crimp Forming Tool, I just never got the hand of this one.



Here is a picture of my new crimp tool, Beadalon Designer Bead Crimper which works fabulously!



Here is a pink bracelet that I made Saturday night, and wore it to church Sunday. The large beads are lampwork beads and the smaller ones are Czech glass beads. The Czech glass beads reminded me of the kids pulled tooth, brought back memories.



Ta Da! Here are the earrings to match Carla's purple bracelet. I don't have the earwire on hand, I use the interchangeable earwire so all I need are the dangles, clever huh!



Earrings for Trish - I ran out of the pink crystals I used in her bracelet, so I changed the pearl as well. Here is a pink crystal with a large freshwater pearl. I hope she will like them.



This is a strand of pearls my mother had in her jewelry box, the clasp broke years ago. I had the honor of restringing them for her and adding a new sterling silver clasp. Very pretty necklace. I also restrung a bracelet for a co-worker of Eric.



This was another make on Saturday and wear on Sunday bracelet.



This was my first memory wire bracelet, I made two but I'm thinking I will redo them and have just one and add the bead tips at the end for a more finished look. I do enjoy hearing the clicking of the beads.



Here is my next step in beading. You add a bead or beads to a head pin, make a loop and attach the bead unit to a link bracelet. The pictures below is from the current Bead Style Under $25 magazine. You can buy a ready made link bracelet or they sell the chain by the foot and you can add a clasp of your choice. For now I will get a ready made link bracelet, but the possibilities are endless, you can add just a single charm or many, a single bead unit/dangle or several. What do you think of this? Pretty huh!



Today's Project will be make something beautiful with these beads. I picked up these Swarovski sliders, Jonquil Swarovski crystals, and yellow cat's eye beads. I have an idea of what I want to do, hopefully I will be able to pull if off. Check back to see how it turns out.

PBA Becca!

My dear loves to bowl hubby finally talked me into getting a bowling ball. One of the bowling alley’s has a special on a ball, bag and shoes for $100, which is a good deal I think - not a huge investment but you get what you need for a good start. We ordered my starter kit a couple of weeks ago, and finally got around to getting back to the bowling alley yesterday to get my ball sized.

The whole sizing process is very interesting (to bad I didn’t have my camera); we even had the opportunity to watch as they drilled the holes for my ball, vacuumed the dust and polished up my striker! My new bowling shoes didn’t feel like the house shoes you rent, much nicer and cleaner, they do have the slider pad on the bottom so I was nervous I would slid my graceful self right into the lane, thankfully I didn’t! I was ready to try out all my new stuff, so Eric signed us up to bowl an hour - look out PBA tour I’m ready now.



I wish I could tell you that I had my best game ever, but unfortunately I can’t because I do believe I had my worst game ever! Okay, sure I didn’t break a nail (one of the benefits per my dear hubby) but the first game even the kids beat me, I bowled a whopping 68. I’ve done better with rental shoes and a house ball! A 68 are you kidding me – did I just throw 100 bucks down the drain?

Eric tries to encourage me to remember my form, bend my knees, don’t chunk the ball down, don’t turn my right wrist, and a whole bunch of other pointers that were fuzzy once I’m on my approach!

My second game was much better 102, I even had a strike, we didn’t get to finish our third game, the time ran out in the 9th frame and I believe I had 98; too bad we couldn’t finish the game I want to think that I would have at least made it to 100. As with everything, I will need to practice, practice, practice.

Purple bracelet for Carla

Here is a bracelet that I made from my friend Carla. Carla loves the Lord, and is such a giving person, that I wanted to do something nice for her, my hope is that this little bracelet will bless her and bring a smile to her face when she looks at it, because I always smile when I think of her.



The bracelet features rainbow fluorite and fresh water pearls...



When I saw the beads at the bead store, I was instantly drawn to them but like a nut I didn't get them. They kept calling to me - not really but you know what I mean, I just couldn't get them out of my head, so on my next trip to the store I got them.

The bracelet has had several designs before I finally decided that this one works for me. I even added a fabulous amethyst nugget but it just wasn't right.

Here is one of the designs that didn't work for me.



I wanted to add these sterling silver lantern spacers to the design, but for the life of me I could not string them on correctly, I had a time trying to get the wire to come out of the end of the spacer. Note to self, never get spacers with lots of openings! I must tell you that after Carla's bracelet was finished I was able to string the lantern spacers! It was not meant to be.



I also wanted to share the bracelet that got me started in beading. I purchased this bracelet from Yummy's Bead and Fabrics (which is no longer in business - sad face), in case you don't know, my favorite color is green and this one had my name written all over it.

I will be restringing it to add two more Chrysolite bicone Swarovski crystals to the bracelet. The pictures does not due to bracelet justice, you have to see it to get the full effect of the crystals - but I love it!

Hooray for Boston!

We are back in school after taking a two week vacation. I thought it was going to be difficult getting back into the routine, but everything has been going pretty well. The kids have been finishing up their assignments early as well, which is always nice. Yesterday I was able to finish entering our assignments for next week in HomeSchool Tracker. I love it when we are ahead of schedule and it is smooth sailing!

Here are a few pictures that Eric took for me the other day in the back yard.

Our hydrangea finally bloomed! We have taken several clippings from Eric's parents, and this is the only one to ever make it.









We are having Vacation Bible School at our church all this week. The theme is "God is with us", and the church actually writes their own curriculum for VBS. Eric was apart of the VBS Team and wrote two lessons for the adult class, and will also teach those two lessons. Last night was his first teaching night, he said he was nervous but you couldn’t tell and he did a great job! His next day to teach is Thursday, so please be in prayer for him.

Both Eric and I are dragging a bit today because after we got home from VBS we started watching the NBA Finals, Boston vs. Los Angeles. The Celtics won 131 to 92!! Congratulations to the Boston Celtics, what a game and finally Paul, KG, Ray and Doc all have a championship ring!

Florida Trip: Craft Projects Past and Present

I've been in the "crafty" mode for the last few months, so my mom brought out some of my earlier "works of art" (using these words loosely). Here is my first and only attempt at embroidery, a pillow case - I only made one (know your limitations). I was in elementary school when I made this an it really looks a hot mess! Click on the picture to see exactly what I mean. Only a mother could love something like this and of course she does and still uses it after all these years. Shabby chic or just shabby? LOL



You will have to admit that this project looks much better, here is a cross stitch of "Footprints in the Sand" that I made for my mom. It was difficult taking a picture without the glare, if you click on the picture you may be able to see the details a little better. Not sure when I made this, but I was a young adult I do believe. I forgot to get pictures of the cross stitch that I made for my daddy. I do much better at cross stitching than embroidery.



Our God-daughter Alexis received a embroidery machine for Christmas, she gave us a mini "how-to" lesson and showed us projects she has made, you know I was all eyes, ears and full of questions. She made this while we watched, it took minutes, it is a pair of scandals on the back of a t-shirt, how cool is that for the summer. My head was swimming with gift ideas.



Here is the machine making a cute little green turtle.



Here is the finished turtle and Alexis, it took no time at all, the machine tells you when to change the thread, hers even has a thumb drive! Eric and I both are ready to get a embroidery machine! Alexis is my craft buddy, she scrapbooks, paints, cooks, does cake decorating, has a garden, sews, AND plays basketball PLUS makes good grades!

Florida Trip: Cooling off

There were yellow, red and double red flags (never seen that one before) flying at the beach the entire week, so we opted for the Panama City Beach Aquatic Center













We went to the brand new Pier Park on the Beach, which features shops, restaurants, etc. Southern Living magazine did an article about it in their current magazine. Here are the kids in front of the movie theatre.







This was taken while driving across the bridge to the Panama City Beach - not bad huh!




We went to the park one day, there were several kids playing tag, so my crew joined in and everyone had a blast.

Florida Trip: At the Marina

We always manage to visit the Marina downtown when we are home, here are a few pictures from our outing...








There was a memorial for victims of September 11, 2001.

(Click the picture to enlarge)