Digging in, when I should be kickin' it...

It's been typical Michigan weather lately; blustery, cool, and rainy. I enjoy this weather, but it makes me want to just curl up on the couch with dogs, my husband, and a good book. Unfortunately, it is difficult to melt glass and then sell my beads and jewelry just sitting on the couch. So, time to find some motivation and kick it into high gear!

Come see me this weekend!

This little sparkly is up on Etsy.


I'll be at the West Michigan Bead Expo in Grand Rapids. Stop by & say HI!

Had a lot of fun!

I had a great time at the Tipp City Mum Fest last weekend! I met some wonderful people, made a few sales, and laughed a LOT with my family.

Also, just listed on Etsy, Stormy Skies.

Neglected Blog

I've been very busy getting ready for the Tipp City Mum fest September 26th. By getting ready, I mean waiting til the last minute to do, well, everything. Some sick part of me feels a greater sense of accomplishment when panic is thrown into the equation.

Inspiration, Star Trek style...

My friend Suzanne sent me a link to inspirational posters, a la Star Trek. Check them out!

Julie & Julia

I had the pleasure of seeing Julie & Julia last night. It was a very enjoyable film; the two story lines were well-meshed. Although it was to be expected, Julie's constant talk of Julia got to be be bit much by the end of the film. Meryl Streep's performance was just spectacular! She was a joy to watch, and they way she expressed Julia's sheer and utter joy with not only cooking, but her life was uplifting. I've seen quite a few movies that draw me in, but this is definitely the best. It made me feel happy and joyous without being smarmy.

Creative Every Day

In my never-ending attempt to do something Creative Every Day and escape the my usual ruts, I thought I would make one post a week to summarize what I've done. Last week, I was largely creative, although it lacked variety. I made beads 4 days out of 7, and I adapted a casserole dish into a (slightly) lighter baked dish.

I'm a wild woman, so I'm sure you need a moment to catch up...

Rest in Peace, John Hughes

John Hughes passed away today at the age of 59. Much like trying to pick a favorite Metallica song, it is very difficult to choose a favorite John Hughes movie. Overall, I'd pick Breakfast Club, but my favorite character is Ducky, from Pretty in Pink. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Home Alone... The list goes on...

"Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?"

"That's why they call them crushes. If they were easy, they'd call them something else."

"We're all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at hiding it, that's all."

What are some of your favorite quotes?

A Joyful Spirit is Evidence of a Grateful Heart

I am gratfeul that I belong to an online community that supports and stands up for each other in times of adversity. Someone has been trying to discredit my fellow artisans by spreading lies and even reporting them to authorities under false pretenses. Here is a blog combatting these falsehoods. Please click on the blog, so that it can move up in the search engines.

Thank you!

Whitewater!

Ok, maybe not whitewater, but we did have fun kayaking on the Rogue River.

I'm in a Treasury!

A Treasury on Etsy is a collection of similar goods, items, color, themes, etc that is posted by a vendor or purchaser. It is a great way to promote your favorite items; and let's face it, they're just so pretty! Kevan snagged one, and included my Califonia Goddess! Check it out!

Creative Every Day

Earlier this year, I discovered the site Creative Every Day. My life is filled with good intentions, but as the saying goes, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions. I haven't been nearly creative every day. Instead of trying to be creative *every* day, I'm going to aim for a couple of times a week. I haven't had to make any beads this week, but I did try a new recipe tonight. It's just coleslaw, but hey, it's a start.

Today's cuteness

Nice weekend

I had a nice weekend with my brother, SIL, and niece. It was my niece's and brother's birthday party. Good food, wonderful people. I even sold some beads. :)

Amber Waves

Up on Etsy tonight. Going to post and run, I'm awfully tired.

Chalcedony

Nummy! Here are my first experiments with Chalcedony from the wonderful women at Gaffer Girls USA. I buy my frit from JameyLynn at Howaco, which reminds me that I need to get an order together so I can swing by her place after my hair appt Wednesday...

I have another idea for a base under the Chalcedony, but I was an idiot and forgot to put sunblock on yesterday; I am too sunburnt to torch today.

Space, the final frontier

Spent some time on the torch yesterday, and played with silver foil, rubino, and some blue transparents. I was a little heavy-handed with the rubino on the lower one, but I love the outer space feel to these.

Crazy week

It's been a crazy-busy week but I'm getting back in the groove, I made some beads today, and hopefully some of them turned out. I am doing my first outdoor show in September, just 2 weeks before the West Michigan Bead Expo. I have no idea how I am going to have enough product without quitting my job. :)

Joy

I stumbled across Kate Leiper's work the other day, and I am just enamored with her art. Her animals have the most wonderful expressions, and the details are simplay amazing. I've made her web site my home page at work, and I keep changing my desktop wallpaper. I am definitely a dog person; this guy's been up a whole day. :) I love this quote from her profile, "Whenever I read words, an image comes to mind; yet images offer a glimpse of what can’t be expressed in words."

Take a look around her site, and enjoy!

20 years ago tonight

On June 5, 1989, one day after the Chinese army's deadly crushing of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing, a single, unarmed young man stood his ground before a column of tanks on the Avenue of Eternal Peace. Captured on film and video by Western journalists, this extraordinary confrontation became an icon of the struggle for freedom around the world.

{body of snipped article here}

In the end, his identity remains a mystery, but the symbolism of his act of defiance continues to have power. "That story ... is not getting weaker because of time. Because we don't know who he is, it's actually getting stronger," says Xiao Qiang of the China Internet Project at the University of California at Berkeley. "In the long frame of history ... human freedom, courage, dignity will stay and prevail, and that's what that picture will testify [to] forever."