With Love...

I've been side-tracked and haven't been making very much jewelry in the last few months, but I did want to share two pair of earrings that I made with lots of love for two friends. The earrings have the right about of shimmer and sparkle, don't you think.






Enjoy!

Our First Snow

Today we had our first snow!

It started off by raining this morning, later on we had a mix of rain and ice then those big fat fluffy snow flakes. We are suppose to get 1 to 3 inches of snow today - it is so beautiful. Here are a few pictures that I took earlier today.

Mr. Cardinal looked so handsome for Mrs. Cardinal and the other birds around the feeder today.

Happy Saturday!

How was your Thanksgiving?

I hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and took a little time to thank God for all the many blessings he has bestowed on you – I know I did (and do)! My mother was able to visit for a week; one of these days maybe we’ll be able to talk her into staying for at least two weeks. My mom helped me prepare our Thanksgiving fest and we had Eric’s parents and niece Lindsay join us on Thanksgiving Day. Another blessing was that my brother and his family were able to come down Saturday - we had four generations here, of course I missed the photo opportunity (gee!)

My mom gave cooking and baking lessons while here, I learned how to make her macaroni and cheese and pecan pie, it is going to take a couple more lessons for me to get the dressing down. Eric wanted to watch her make her family favorite Sour Cream Pound Cake, he didn’t have a good experience with that cake the first time he tried (LOL). Nicole made those tasty sweet potato muffins again this year, this time Gene wanted to join in to help out.

The school year for the kids has been just rolling along; we’ve already received their first report card. Nicole is adjusting well, she made only one C on her report card and that was in reading, seems the purple princess was not interested in turning in her reading logs. She is all excieted about her upcoming band concert at school.

I really believe Gene thought public school was going to be like all fun and no work, he is struggling with several issues - it has been really draining, please keep him in your prayers. He also has a band concert this month, this will be his second concert and the other 8th grade band students were able to practice and play with the high school band during half time at one of the football games.

We’ll I’m off for now, I’m watching the Washington Wizards vs. Toronto Raptors (NBA), the Wizards are losing so I’d better scram so that I cheer them on!

Happy Birthday Nicole!

Guess who turned 12 on Sunday. Princess Nicole! Time is just flying by.

Here is her birthday cake... so yummy!

Happy birthday Nicole!

Sparkle for the Ears

Check out the pretty crystal earrings that I made as a birthday present for my super duper friend Carla. I wanted to make her something neutral that would look lovely all dressed up or dressed down, and this is what I came up with. Just the right amount of sparkle I think. I used Swarovski crystals in mocca and golden shadow and sterling silver.

I made these bad boys for me (grin)! I already have a pair of cute pearl earrings but wanted to make a pair that were a bit larger and had some sparkle, what girl doesn't love sparkle. I used a coin freshwater pearl and a Swarovski crystal rondelle bead along with sterling silver.

Just a little sparkle or the ears!

Band Members

My kiddos are making a smooth transition to public school, which is a huge answer to prayer! Both are proud members of the band at their schools, Gene is learning to play the trumpet, his class meets daily and Nicole is learning to play the flute, her class meets weekly, or at least I think that will be the schedule - they just met for the first time on Tuesday.

Perfect For Tasha!

Have you ever saw something that instantly reminded you of someone? It happens to me on occasion, like when I see sunflowers I always think of my friend Tracey, Sour Patch Kids candy reminds me of Lindsay who loved the candy when she was younger. You get the idea, well I saw a pair of earrings in a jewelry design book called Perfect Match Earrings, Designs for Every Occasion, (one of my favorite jewelry books), I instantly thought, "These would be perfect for Tasha!"

I made them yesterday while waiting for Gene's bus to come (he thought they were pretty by the way) - nothing like waiting until the last minute to get a gift ready; her birthday is Saturday! Tasha said that her favorite color is hot pink, so I used fuchsia Swarovski bicone crystals. The bicone crystals compliments the marquise shaped links perfectly, don't you think?



While I was arranging the earrings for their photo shoot, I came up with my own design, using all the same elements. Can you guess the arrangement? Leave me a comment if you think you know what the design is. Heck, just leave me a comment if you like them or even if you don't! I would love to hear from you and get your thoughts on the earrings.

I have a couple of unfinished jewelry projects that I'm working on, one is a beautiful labradorite necklace and I'm also working on a bracelet with those FREE lampwork beads I won. Hopefully, I will finish the bracelet this weekend, can't wait to show you. I'm off for now, have a super day!

First Day of School

Today was the first day of school for my kiddos - first day of public school, first day of riding a school bus, well first day for Gene anyway - Nicole missed her bus, the driver was WAY early, but she did get to ride the school bus home. Both kids enjoyed their first day, came home all smiles and full of chatter about this and that.

Here is Nicole after she got off the bus, she had quite an entourage waiting for her, three of the neighbor kids, Gene and me! All the kids (and Mom) were so excited to see Nicole and hear about her day, it was so cute.

I did manage to get a picture of Gene before we left to walk to the bus stop, I had planned to take pictures of him getting on the bus, but didn't think he would appreciate the "Mommy Moment" so decided just to take his picture before we left the house.


Back to School Survival Bag

I made the kids a Back to School Survival bag, click here to see where I got the cool idea. The picture above is all the loot for the bag, I had the hardest time finding those fruit roll ups and just could not find Hersey's Hugs, so I used Hersey's Kisses instead. The bag is filled with the treats and a letter from to encourage them to do their best at school and to always remember the Lord is with them. Here is list of the things I put in my bags.

Back to School Survival Guide

Fruit by the foot - Put your best foot forward

Pencils - We think you are sharp!

A rock with the word prayer written on with a simple sharpie

A lollipop - to remind you to stick to the scriptures to help you "lick" any obstacles this year

Eraser - to remind you you can start each new day with a clean slate

Rubber band - Stretch your mind this year

paper clips - You have all the tools to hold it together

Hershey Kiss - Just some extra kissess when you need them

Smarties - Smarties for the smartie

Tootsie Roll - to remind you to roll with the punches this year

Sponge - to remind you to soak it all in this year

Almond Joy candy bar - We hope this year brings you great joy


I printed out the cards using business cards on the computer, and used both glue dots and squares to adhere the loot to the business cards. The next time I do one of these I will skip the cards all together and just add the list/meaning to the body of the letter. Of course the bags were a big hit with Gene and Nicole, yeah - all my hard work paid off!

Bikes and Back to School

Can you guess the bicycle that belongs to a boy?



This is classic. Eric told me to look out the window, the two girls have used their kick stands and parked their bikes all neat and nice. The boys (there is another one laying on the ground but couldn't get it in the picture) just let their bikes fall where they stopped. Funny eh?

Back to school is just around the corner, the kids start the day after Labor Day. Tonight we will be going to Gene's orientation at the middle school, Nicole's orientation will be Thursday morning. My guys are really excited about going to public school for the first time.

I've been asked so many times about what my plans are now that we will no longer be home educating the kiddos. To be honest, I haven't given it much thought. After the kids get settled into the new routine of "going" to school, then I will give more thought and prayer to what is next for me.

Well I'd better get my hips up and finish dinner, have a super duper day!

New Wheels

Eric has new wheels! He bought a motorcycle yesterday, it's a Yamaha something or other. Here he is after unloading it from the trailer (smiling is not an option!).

Yeah a helmet. I don't understand why that is not mandatory in every state.



I didn't realize it was so much to do in order to drive a motorcycle. Eric took a motorcycle safety class on base, then took a written test at DMV to get her learners permit, I think he said that in 30 days he can take his road test. A lot right? Eric is as happy as a clam, even though you can't see the happy on his face in the pictures - he's happy on the inside!

Get Together

We've had a mini family reunion with Eric's sister Julie and her husband Steve who are back in the states, we all gathered in Richmond last Monday, then got together again yesterday in Yorktown. Steve and Julie will be heading to Germany, and hopefully we will have an opportunity to visit them before they are transferred. Here are some of the pictures that I took on Monday, enjoy!

Lindsay with Grandpa. Smiling for a picture is not an option for Grandpa!

Lindsay with her pooch Benson.



Julie, my fabulous sister-in-law.

Lindsay, Eric, Julie - can you believe Eric is smiling!

The siblings: Eric and Julie - nice.

Julie and Steve, what a good looking couple.

Lindsay, Benson and Grandpa. Everyone looks happy except Benson.

Lindsay and Benson. Benson is happy to be home with mom and Spider Pig!

Grandpa Jimmy.

Some Jewelry!

I has been awhile since I posted any pictures of jewelry that I've made, so I thought that I would show you some of the things that I've either made for myself (smile), given away as gifts or just made 'cause. Click the picture if you want to make the image larger.

These are my new favorite earrings and crystal. I promise it looks SO much better in person. To me they are just stunning and looks perfect with a suit or your favorite pair of jeans.




Rectangle Millefiori glass bead with a Swarovski crystal. These were for me, and everyday last week I wore only these earrings, because they fit perfect with every outfit PLUS they are pretty.

Brown mother-of-pearl earrings, so cute! The coin shaped beads I picked up on my last trip to Florida on the clearance rack, I'm so glad I picked them up.

Teal Swarovski crystals dangling on a heart chain, very sparkly.




Fuchsia lampwork bead on a kidney ear wire. These are my little cuties.

Carnelian gemstone with sterling silver. So pretty. I just love the way this necklace turned out.

Made these for my sister Shirley, she said that she needed a pair of earrings that she could wear with anything - I love how things always work out!




Delightful - Bronzite and turquoise, so elegant. I've done a variation of these before, by I thought they would be perfect for the recipient.

Red hot Swarovski crystals with Bali ring and bead caps.

Here is another variation of my new favorite crystal bead, love it in this color as well. Simply a stunning pair of earrings.

Teal lampwork bead with cool ear wire.

Fuchsia lampwork and Swarovski crystal with the cool ear wire. I love swirls!

Did I mention that I love this bead! Here it is again with a crystal bicone. Lovely.

Thanks for taking a look, hopefully I am going to post more pictures next week. Have a great weekend.

Color, Color, Color!

Can you guess what I've been doing?

Yep, we have finally gotten around to painting those bare white walls in the house. We started back in July and painted the half bath this rich brown, the paint color is called latte, we also switch out the hideous Hollywood lights put in by the builder. Then the we headed upstairs to paint the kids bedrooms and the guest room, I still need to accessorize the rooms but the painted walls look outstanding.

The next room to paint will be the master bedroom and bath. Eric picked up the paint for both rooms last Friday, and I was suppose to start painting the bathroom today, but that hasn't happened, so maybe I will get around to it Saturday.

For our bedroom we choose a neutral, it is a chocolate brown with a tan color for the bathroom. But, I've been thinking that maybe we should just paint one wall in the bedroom in fear that four walls painted chocolate brown will be to dark.

We had cranberry walls in the dining room of our last home, it was georgous, but I'm not sure I want to use the same color here, I'm leaning towards rich golden yellow, Sahara Sunset is the name of the paint color, and I'm going green for the office. Our two story living room and hallways will be the last on the list and we are still pondering the kitchen.



I'm listing the paint color/name to help me just in case I forget to write them down:

Gene's bedroom: Respite (Sherwin-Williams SW 6514)

Nicole's bedroom: Wisteria (Sherrwin-Williams SW 6822)

Half Bathrom: Latte (Sherwin-Williams SW 6108)

Guest Bedroom: Relaxed Khaki (Sherwin-Williams SW 6149)

Master Bedroom: Belgian Chocolate (Lowe's/Olympic Paints D26-5)

Master Bathroom: Pony Tail (Lowe's/Olympic Paints C15-3)

The Beads Arrived!

The yummy beads I won from Bead and Save arrived yesterday, they are gorgeous! The four extra beads that Bead and Save included are a perfect compliment to the others, I am SO looking forward to using them in an upcoming project. So pretty.

Meet Benson

This weekend we dog sat for niece Lindsay, I was a little nervous that Benson would have an accident in the house, plus he was already a bit sad because Lindsay's other dog was at Grandma's house, so he didn't have his play mate and big brother.

Benson such a good boy, no accidents or any bad behavior the entire weekend. He just wanted to be right under you, or at least in the same room with you, plus he wanted lots of petting. As soon as you start petting him, he rolls on his back so that you can rub his belly!

Just love those flop ears!

This was too cute - I guess his elbow was a bit itchy, so here is Benson trying to lick his elbow. Silly boy!

Bead and Save's Giveaway

I won the Bead and Save Giveaway! Can you believe it - Yippee!!

The Beading Gem Journal hosted a lampwork bead giveaway with Bead and Save and I found out yesterday that I was the winner. I'm so excited, I can hardly wait to receive my beautiful prize, are these lampwork beads yummy or what!

The Beading Gem Journal is one of my favorite beading blogs, and is usually the first e-mail I read each day. I have to admit that I was not familiar with Bead and Save prior to the giveaway, but after checking out their online bead store and making out a "must have" list, I'm sure I will be a loyal fan and customer.

What will I make with my yummy beads? Not sure, I will play around with the beads and then decide what direction I will go, oh I almost forgot to mention that the owner of Bead and Save e-mailed me and said they included some extra beads to go with the lampwork beads! How thoughtful and generous is that.

Thank you, thank you The Beading Gem Journal and Bead and Save!

Playing With Clay

A couple of weeks ago I took a polymer clay class and made my very own beads! I had never worked with polymer clay before so I was thrilled to get the chance to learn something new and make my very own beads (look out HGTV's Carol Duvall). I did have the forethought to bring my camera, and here are a few pictures I took.

Here is my pendant after I had worked the clay, which really means running it through a pasta machine a few times.

The instructor is very resourceful, here we have the beads on copper wire skewers, I just loved her "baking boat" for the oven.

Looks like a toaster oven, right? I thought so to, but alas it is a polymer clay and craft oven.

Here, the handy-dandy get the hot stuff out of the oven paddle is a shoe box top! Recycle and reuse is the name of the game - love it. Here are my pretties fresh out of the oven.

Ta Da... The final product after they have had their clear coat. I used rubber stamps to get the swirls on the front and back of each bead, I also used some embossing powder to give the beads some shimmer. Right now I'm not sure how I will use the beads, I do have enough to make a necklace, bracelet and earrings, or perhaps I will make a necklace and earring set, still pondering what other beads I will use as well.

My instructor does fabulous work, and I could not resist buying these two pendants. She originally planned to make them into pins, but I asked her to drill a hole in the top so that I could use them as a pendant, the lighter background one looks like mother-of-pearl, so tweet.

Anniversary Trip

Eric and I celebrated our 16th wedding anniversary on Friday, July 17! My how time flies by, it really doesn't seem like we've been married THAT long. We took the the kids down to Eric's parents on Thursday evening, and they didn't return home until Sunday afternoon. Yippee!

Friday morning we got up and I made my man a hearty breakfast, I'm talking a real breakfast not my usual cold cereal and fruit. After breakfast Eric had planned a day trip to National Harbor in Maryland. This was our first time going there, friends from church said they had gone and enjoyed it, so we thought we would check it out. Here are some pictures of our outing...

This the the Gaylord, we took a little "tour" - it was fabulous inside, WOW was the extent of my comments as we walked through the lobby, trying really hard to look like we belonged there!

Not sure what this plant is, looks like tiny tomatoes doesn't it. The Gaylord even has great plants.

And check out the water feature leading up to the lobby doors. They even had a fountain...

The "sailboat" on the Westin was cool, don't you think?

Here is the man in the sand sculpture, but it looks more like man drowning, but what do I know!

We saw some young kids sailing, they were really pumped up for their sail.

Of course I had to take a couple pictures of my feathered friends...

We noticed that the boardwalk was littered with clam shells, then realized that the seagulls were dropping the clams on the boardwalk to open them, clever huh! Here is one of the clever birds feasting on his bounty.

I had planned to include pictures from our wedding, but I haven't had a chance to scan the pictures in yet, hopefully I will get around to it soon.

Live blessed!