What's Going On ...

Howdy kids!

Okily Dokily, all the beads are ready...choose your faves, mix and match, whatever ya wanna do...

I'm back from class, we always have such a blast there...I was gonna pass on this week and go next, but a classmate asked me to bring my texturing hammers and I couldn't let her down, so I packed up all my toys and made the trip...I was gonna miss class so I could stay home and WORK - I have loads of Icicle beads to offer, and was having fun cleaning and playing with them...and now that I'm back, I can finish the job...the beads are cleaned and I've put together sets for 'planned' offerings, but it was hard cause they all go together really nice...what I'll do is offer some of the beads as pairs so you can order them individually if you don't want an entire set...

The votes from the poll show about a 60/40 split, with the planned sets being preferred, and since I hadn't offered them in a few weeks, I thought I'd do that today...I used the Mixed Iris colors (purple, lavender and lime) and had a blast...I love being free at the torch to come up with whatever I feel like - it keeps me busy and not bogged down, and I can handle a few repeats here and there, which is why I take down the 'buy now' buttons on the other icicle beads from time to time...when I'm ready to rock them again, I put the buttons back up for a little while, then down they come again...so when you see the button, take advantage cause I'm not sure when I'll get around to them the next time...

Ok, enough yapping, back in a bit...gotta go shoot some pics..its 80 here - I'm pretty sure winter is done...although we might get a cold snap later in March...but I'm not holding my breath...rock on...see ya in a few...

Mixed Iris Flowers...

You know, I always find this phenomenon surprising, and I suppose I shouldn't...I made these three bracelets yesterday, thinking I was doing something new and creative- only to find out that the colors had been mushed into my brain when I bought this bag of Iris bulbs on Saturday...as I was walking out to take pics this morning, I see the bag and think 'well now, isn't that interesting?'...I'm still shaking my head and laughing...the subconscious rocks...

The Olympics are over, Bleak House finished its 6 week run on PBS last night (what a fantastic Masterpiece Theatre!!)...but the good news - Spring is right around the corner...the roses are starting to pop, the trees have 'bud-swell' and you can see the new leaves starting to open as you drive down the street...I'm gonna run out and put these Iris in the ground...the ones I planted last year have put up shoots, but no flowers yet...wahoo!

Spring Cleaning

This is what happens after a dark and rainy day - a sunny gorgeous day makes us want to clean house! so out comes the Swiffer, vacuum, Chlorox, Windex, mop and buckets...the 70's music comes on and we stir up lots of dust and animal hair...did you know there are 23 cabinet doors and 6 drawers in my kitchen? I have covered every last one of them, including floorboards, light switches and behind the garbage can...and its only 1:15pm! We took a break to enjoy some of the roses that survived the freeze last week, they're opening in the new sun and look a little rough, but at least they survived!

So for dinner Brian is making meatloaf and I'm doing all the sides...baked potato and whatever else looks good...we need to get the cars washed, but i'm sure the local wash place is packed, so I'll do mine tomorrow...

in the meantime, enjoy your sunday, i hope to get some work done after the house...once its clean, I feel good...and I'll wanna keep the cats outside for the next 6 months so they don't trash the place...ahhh, to have kitties and puppies...

Rainy Days and Saturdays...

Its a gorgeous dark, rainy day here...cause we NEED rain so desperately...'extreme drought' is no way to start the Spring season...speaking of which, I am starting to sniff Easter (with my non-working nose) in the air, after visiting the local drug store and seeing 25 miles of Easter candy in their aisles....

I pulled some groovy pastel colors, but went a little weird as I like to do, and made these a bit darker than the traditional 'sweet 6 year old' pastels...nothing wrong with being a sweet 6 year old, they are the cutest, right? But do you want to look like you stole your niece's Rainbow Brite bracelet? I think not...so this one is a little more growed-up with deeper tanzanite, lemon yellow and gorgeous coral that shows you are able to make your own pastel decisions...

Friday!

Ahhh...my feet are tingly and feel fabulous...I need to do this more often! I think my favorite part is when they bang on my calves to get the circulation going...oh, and playing with the buttons in the chair, making everything buzz and vibrate at the same time...buzzzzzzzz

Are ya happy that its the weekend? I'm hearin' that ya'll are...!
I've got a few new spacers in purples for your Icicles...I'm headin' to the PO to drop off ya'lls goodies and then onto get a pedicure cause my Fred Flintstone feet need some attention...they are really evil...probably because I wear sandals all year 'round and it takes a toll...this isn't about painted toenails, its about sawing calluses off my heels...heh...feel like eating breakfast now?!?

Back later, I feel like playing at the torch today, we'll see what happens...

Loo loo loo, I've got some apples,

...loo loo loo, You've got some too...

Wonder where I am? I'm here, and packaging! hurray...I got up early, cleaned spacers, and everything is now packaged...labeling coming up next, then ya'll will have your goodies very soon...

I promise I won't turn into an American Idol website, I won't...but it was interesting to see how many CRUMMY male singers they had last night...I kinda ran out of steam on some of the last few Hollywood week episodes, so last night was the first time for me to see some of those guys and 'blah'...what happened to that cute kid from East Texas? the MOrtician? I thought people liked him...well, from last night I can tell ya I like Taylor, Ace and Chris...the rest - well, whatever...and it was Peter Brady that dude looked like, not Bobby...heh..

I've got some new info I need to update on my FAQ, so I'll be doing that in a bit...its kinda a 'behind the scenes' day here...but I need them from time to time...there's always something that needs to be done...time to order more white tubes, and pick up more ziploc bags and tape and that boring kinda stuff...on a plus side, I watched an episode of Kolchak:Night Stalker on SciFi...I loved that show as a kid, and its just as good now...campy deliciousness...

uh oh...hiccups...

Icicle Redux

Pirate Rubber Duckie is traveling the world - get on the list to take pics with him...i bet by the time he gets to you, all the color will be rubbed off!

After talking to my instructor about the Icicle earring design, she asked me why I was putting the silver balls on the back of the earring, when the flare at the bottom should hold the beads on just fine...and ya know what - she was right...The ball served a purpose on the straight, unflared earrings (you can see those in the pic where they are laying down, cause there was no ball there to hold the beads on)...So, after giving it a try, I have come to like the non-ball look of the new earrings, and that's what I've made for this batch...and that's what you'll be receiving if you've ordered lately...However, should you receive them and you prefer the look with the ball on the back, that is easily remedied -

just return the pair and i'll send you a set w/ balls instead....no harm, no foul...I hope you like the new design, though, cause that's the direction I think I'm going to go with these...I'll get pics of these posted after lunch today...its still drizzling, but at least its warmer out and I don't freeze taking shots outdoors...

What about the Icicle Pendants, tho? Someone asked me yesterday if I still plan on making these, and the answer is 'yes'...I have the one prototype my instructor made, but I'd like to 'explore the space' and see what other designs might work for it...i just haven't spent enough time playing with the metal yet, but I will..first I need to get a few orders taken care of...

Yeah, American Idol was entertaining, I have a few faves already...what I've learned - the white chicks all wear mall jeans and cheap shirts, while the black chicks get dressed up and 'sell' the song with a proper look...the last chick who sang (don't know all their names yet) has a fantastic voice, but she was rather robotic in her delivery...but then Carrie was acused of being a Fembot last year, and she won the whole thang, so I dunno what I'm talking about obviously...

Looking for some Cowbell schwag?

Who does the new James Bond look like?

Olympics and Dog Whisperer

I must confess I haven't been watching the Olympics like i have in the past...it seems every time I tune in, its hockey, or curling, or ice dancing...I have caught Apolo Anton Ohno fast skating, which I always find interesting because you dunno how it'll turn out...I saw some long jumping and freestyle skiing...I did watch as much of the half pipe as I could..but sorry - last night was reserved for '24' and the next few nights i'll kinda listen in on 'American Idol' while I work (lots of spacers to be made! chop chop)...But I've been TiVoing Dog Whisperer to help me learn how to train Lady, and I'm learning alot...we've ordered a pair of the cool new Land Rollers that Cesar wears when he wants a dog to run and wear himself out...Brian will be rolling up and down the streets with a dog dragging him...should be fun! And ironically, Apolo Anton Ohno is a consultant on these skates too...

I have a lunch date with my previous boss tomorrow, haven't seen him in the 3 years since I left my old company, so this will be fun, I'm sure...I do keep up with some of the folks who I worked with, but mostly I work in my cave and don't see the outside world much..its really interesting- you'd think since i work from home that I'd be out and about, but I really don't get out...I stay home and work! When Brian and I are out on the weekends, I always stare in shock at the changes in the city - new construction, road work, shops that have opened, restaurants that have closed...if it weren't for my silversmithing classes on tuesday, I'd never get out...at least this is a good excuse for me to start my car once a week and get gas in it...Not that I'm complaining, I'm not...but I envisioned that I'd be much more 'city aware' when I worked from home, and now its just the opposite...course, if I was out and about, I wouldn't get any work done and you'd never hear from me...so its probably a good thing...

Spring Bright Lights

1:00pm Beads Be Ready...hope you dig them...

Ok - i've found all the overlooked sets (there were 3) and they've been posted...sorry about that, it wasn't intentional at all, thanks for the headsup, actually...

I got sidetracked and didn't manage to put up all the sets as shown in the pic...isn't that smart...d'oh...but folks have been asking about them, and if you're interested, just lemme know...you're always welcome to email me - lemme see what else I've overlooked...

Hello puppies and kitties...

I'm up early to investigate the beads from the kiln...the good news - they are really groovy and I'm happy with them...the bad news - there aren't enough of them to please me...Bead Fairy hasn't come thru in the way I like...so there shall be no offering today, but I will have something for you tomorrow, I'm quite sure...Now that I've had a chance to see what's here, I can expand on some of the colors and make more of those...I already see an aqua bead that I KNOW needs to be duplicated, that's all there is to that...plus, I haven't made any of the lime green beads yet, and there are no orange beads...and I want a little more black accents...Oh, I know I know I know...I am happy with what's here, I just need more cowbell...

Spring beads are underway...

I pulled a few beads outta the kiln this morning and was pleasantly happy with the results...I only made a small number of them last night, and then wasn't sure I would like what I had done..the problem? I have LOTS of rods pulled in bright colors and it is not how I normally work, and I'm finding it a bit intimidating to have that much choice...I usually will pull a 'theme' set of colors and work lots of beads in those colors - they might vary in hue, but they are essentially the same tones..(like the Victorian Gold sets, for instance)...well, with the Spring Brights, I've just pulled all possible bright opaque and transparent rod and set them next to me..which is a LOT...and...

I'm losing track of the color combos I'm making from them..I have loads of stringer pulled, so I'm forgetting which base, encasing and stringer colors I've used, and my fear is I'll open the kiln and have 100 green/yellow beads and 3 orange/pink beads...I have some ideas of how to solve this problem today, and I hope to have loads of beads for ya'll tomorrow, possibly Monday, but I'll shoot for tomorrow and see how it goes...It kinda reminds me of when I'd walk into Blockbuster video and after spending an hour wandering around, would leave w/out one single movie...it was too much to choose from...most folks are like this, I've learned from others who do jewelry shows that you shouldn't put out TOO much stock, or folks will get confused and walk away from your booth...small inventory to choose from is easier to assess and make a decision from..granted, there can also be too LITTLE to choose from, but right now that isn't my problem...

So, overall I'm happy with the results I pulled this morning, this will give me a direction to head and I'll get to work in a bit...hurray!!

Groovin'...on a Friday morning...

Looks like bright spring beads are just what ya'll are needin'...so consider it done...i'll be giving them a whirl at the torch today and thru the freezing cold weekend...brrr...

I was busy writing my update, but was sidetracked by Clemetine who needed some attention...such a spoiled rotten kitten...are you still keepig up with Cuteoverload?

Watched Oprah rip on Tom Cruise last night...pretty funny stuff...

Alrighty, well I need to get some things taken care of here, so I'm signing off for now...back with more later...rock on as always...

Earrings on the way...

Now the One and HALF inch earrings are ready...rock on...

the ONE inch earrings are ready...i've updated the button on the Ready for Pickin' page...am workin' on the 1.5", will have those in a little while...

Lots and lots of 1" and 1.5" earrings shall be created this morning...they are already cut, pounded and filed, so now its time for the fire...I'll post the paypal button when I know they are ready to go...

More winter is on its way, so I'm watering everything so they survive any freezes or deep cold snaps...its gorgeous here today, tho, 80 and sunny...but this weekend, we dial down the thermometer and put our mittens on...

I finished re-reading Harry Potter 6 last night, I went slower this time and caught more subtle parts than I did the first time I flew thru it...I still feel like its a rather 'hollow' book, I hope the movie makes it feel more 'solid', but its still not my fave...a lot happens, but nothing happens...if that makes sense...

I have plans for some bright beads for spring...how's that sound? bright? spring? bright? spring? yes? no? it just sounds fun to me...i need to come up with a new poll question, but i don't have anything in particular I need to know just yet...i really like having that little program and appreciate ya'll giving your input - i'm almost ALWAYS wrong with my assumptions, so I'm really grateful that you tell me what you prefer...its like when a set of beads sells - its never the set that I expect to sell first...isn't that just weird...? but i'm used to it by now...I just stand back and wait to see what's gonna happen...good thing i'm not a bettin' man - I'd lose all my pennies...

back in a bit...

Who's got a chocolate hangover?

Have you ever seen one of these before? a nifty little light you can throw and stick on a metal surface...make your own, freak your friends out...

I'm starting to wonder if I'm coming down with something, or why I would have a headache two days in a row...atmospheric pressure? tiny men with jackhammers in my brain? I dunno, but I don't like the feel of any of it...

Did you go thru all the bags of Dove chocolate (is there any other?) and Reeses' cups?? Not me..I was pretty well behaved actually...I did have a piece of chocolate cake that I baked a few days ago, its still quite tasty....

Dinner and the movie was really good - the movie is kinda a Romeo and Juliet kinda thing ("Like Water for Chocolate") and they never do reference the title, so if ya'll know what it means, lemme know...I know that a drop of water can ruin a melted pot of chocolate, but I also know that chocolate in Mexico is prepared differently than it is here...guess I could look this up on Wikipedia, huh!

So they kept bringing us food and small glasses of wine and champagne and it was a very tasty meal...quail, zucchini soup, poblano rellenos, wedding cake, watermelon slices....i could hardly eat by the end of the movie, but the food was excellent and we were fat and sassy when we left...I don't think I've had enough water, tho, my head hurts...heh...

So today is another busy day, I won't be home till after 2:00 again, but I plan to get to work on some new earrings...i have some ideas and was looking thru the Rio catalog to see about some companion pieces, so lets see what happens...yesterdays class was one of those non-productive, but idea-inspiring ones...some days I go w/out anything in mind, but thru brainstorming and chatting some neat new ideas come out...its always worthwhile going, even tho I feel guilty that I'm not sawing or melting anything...

Had a nice convo w/ my next door neighbor...she's doing well and taking it easy now that everyone is gone...she's planning on staying in the house, its paid for after all (nice!) and she wants our help with a rose garden in her backyard - which is perfect since we bought the Valentine antique rose for her...I was glad to see she was doing so well...

And the Bull Terrier won the Westminster show last night - what a cool looking dog...I was suprised he won, but I liked the look of him...Rufus...did you see the Pug get nervous and back away from the judge on the table? Poor kid...not the best time to get skittery...

I'm off to get some work done, back later my chocolate covered babies...thanks for the birthday wishes, ya'll are the BEST!!!

Happy Chocolate Day!

Well, we all know that its about the chocolate, right? My Starbucks is still serving Chantico, after all these weeks, so I've been grabbing them while I can...and someone sent me a recipe this morning with these words of wisdom "Chocolate for breakfast, lunch and dinner with Godiva in-between."

Its a busy day today, I'm going in all directions...all the beads are in tubes, I'm labeling this morning and will drop them at the PO on the way to class...I picked up more wire yesterday, so I'll have more earrings later this week, its on my 'list'...

Last night I was a professional channel surfer, working between "24", the Westminster Dog Show and the Olympics...Did you see Jeffrey the Peke in the Toy Group? He always makes us howl with laughter (no pun..no pun) when we see him walk...the Pom was also darling..the Pug won the group, he had a sassy little attitude on him, as should be...Dermott...what a cutie! Loved the Rottweiler who won the working group, we were pulling for the Dobie, but alas, not this year...the Dalmation has a great look on him...we'll miss tonight's show due to the movie/dinner thing, but I'll Tivo it...

I've been watching 'Bleak House' on Masterpiece Theatre and its getting really good! "24" started to get a little cheesy with Jack rescuing the kid at the mall and giving her a shot and becoming a Dr. all of a sudden, but it was good to see 'Gandalf' as someone called Sean Astin yelling orders...tired of bein second guessed...

I bought Brian a few Valentine goodies yesterday, the best was the huge helium Rose that I brought home with the top down in my car...I had to hold onto the thing w/ my left hand, and it nearly lifted my car off the street and carried me away like Willy Wonka's glass elevator...I had cat food and litter in the trunk, and I'm not sure the balloon would have fit in there anyway, I coulda put the top up, but where's the sport in that? Good thing I didn't have far to drive or fast to go...it made for an interesting drive home, tho...I was laughing...

Alrighty then, I must run, but i'll be back...now go eat your weight in chocolate - you have my permission...!

Whoop dere it is...

Yeehaw, the good news - all the beads are made! So I'll be cleaning, packaging, mailing today...very groovy...

So who's ready for tomorrow? Not me..Brian doesn't eat candy, which is good cause if I bought him some, I'd eat it all...and we aren't doing 'birthday week' this year, cause I felt it was really decadent and too much pressure...I already got my birthday present - a very expensive pair of Felco rose clippers and a holster to carry them around in...

How are all my East coast buddies doin'? Diggin' the snow? Literally! Looks like winter has finally arrived for ya'll...pull out those snow shoes, parkas and mufflers and have fun! The Snowman population has just increased by a thousand!

Today is one of those 'busy days' - so I'm gonna hit the ground and get a move on...too much to do...back later my chocolate eating chicas...

can you smell what Donner is cooking?

Got up early, ran errands (Target is quiet at 8:00am on Sunday morning) and watched a good episode of Dog Whisperer...I think we're gonna get Brian some inline skates so he can take the dog for a run...Cesar has some cool ones w/ large wheels on the back, they were groovy, and didn't look as scary as my old ones...I think our dog just needs some RUN time, to work off her energy...she's a good kid...

So, the kiln is heated up and I'm working on beads...my goal - to get everything in the mail by Tuesday...which means I gotta get these guys done...and in the meantime, I wanna do some playing w/ some ideas...I'll be picking up more wire tomorrow for more earrings, so keep an eye out for those coming soon...

Are you watching the Olympics? I always feel obligated to watch cause these kids work for years and years and this is their shot at the bigtime and its the least I can do to watch them perform...besides, who doesn't like watching the kids flipping around on the snowboards? Fabulous! I'll be watching tonight...i saw the women's moguls and pairs skating and mens luge yesterday - those dudes are doing 85mph on a sled w/ no protection...oh yeah...I do think my favorite thing about the Olympics are the names of the athletes...I love hearing the pronunciation and the spelling...the older athletes, the single athlete representing their teeny country of 900 folks, its all fun and interesting..I do wish we could see more foreign athletes, but I know Americans like watching what medals we pull in, so we tend to want to see what American's are doing...but I do enjoy all the foreign flavor to it...plus - its in Italy this year, how can you not watch just for the scenery? ahhhh...

Roses are red...Cucumber beetles are bad...

So, we went to class this morning but almost didn't make it..the newspaper listed the class started at 11:00, so I was heading to the computer to give ya'll an bright shiny update this morning, but on the radio, I hear that the class started at 10:00! So we zoomed outta the house and got there on time, but it kept me from updating here until NOW...sorry about that...hope you're watching the ski jumping Olympics or huddling around a cup of hot chocolate...looks like the entire country is getting a blast of winter...its 48 here, sunny but windy and feels like 35 or something...Its cold! thank goodness the gas was turned back on, right...

I learned I could spray skim milk on my roses to combat black spot, rust and powdery mildew...did you know that? not me...the class was really good, I took loads of notes, and the last bit was a real-life pruning demo, but there were 89 million people in class and they all huddled around the rose, so I couldn't see...but its ok, I can go back next week and have a personal demo, so its fine..plus my little roses are so small, they don't need pruning at the moment...

Our next door neighbor's funeral is today, Brian went to the viewing last night and said there were fantastic pictures of Dennis thru the years...My way of remembering him will be different - I bought an antique rose called 'Valentine' since their anniversary is Valentine's Day (as well as my birthday - I would take half my cake to them to share, making sure the 'donna' portion was still visible for Donna), and we'll watch it grow and remember all the good times with Dennis...this particular plant that Brian picked has 3 blooms on it, so we'll have some instant gratification of color...really pretty deep red blooms, I think Donna will be happy with it...

And there you have it..I'm a little smarter about roses, but still have a lot to learn...Brian took a bunch of photos of the blooms I have now, but the next 3 nights are expected to freeze, so we'll prob lose them, but the class instructor said they'll all come back...and I believe her...

Now Tony Robbins Sleepy...

Noon- I've taken SOME of the buttons down, but left up others, like the spacers..I will be adding to those as well, once i get some pics taken, so you can get colors to match all the Icicle beads in your collection...I also realized that I'm now out of the 1.5" earwires, so it looks like a trip to the wire supply store is quite in order!

For whatever reason, I woke up at 1:00am, wide awake....so I watched some "Family Guy" and some really funny old BBC show called "The Persuaders!" (the exclamation is in the title!) with Tony Curtis and Roger Moore...1971...a full box of Velveeta was used on each episode..the clothes, the hair, the bad puns...it was hilarious...Finally around 4:30am I went back to bed, but didn't get back to sleep until later...so when I woke up at 7:30am this morning, I was bleary eyed, and still am...its cold and misty here and the dog is full of energy, so I'm outside fighting for the frisbee...not quite awake yet, but I'm working on it...

So much to talk about today...

New beads are Ready For Pickin'...
The gas guy is done, now i'm waiting for the service company to turn the gas back on...

noon:17 - the gas guy is here working and I've just taken pics, so i'll be posting them when I get a chance...don't hold your breath, i dunno how much I need to be available to gas guy at the moment..plus i need to eat breakfast...

Tony Robbins Hungry!

I won't go into long stories because I don't have time at the moment and you are probably just as busy with your bad selves to read it all..so, let me give you the CliffNotes versions:

1. Yes, I have beads, well, at least I think so..I made Icicle beads last night and I'll go inspect them to see if they are worthwhile...I never am positive things turn out well until I SEE the beads first hand...those creepy kiln gnomes that freak with the beads are always a threat...

2. We have no heat...yes, Brian smelled propane yesterday (I can't smell, remember) and turns out the gaspipe running to our heater in the studio was leaking...so at 9:30 last night we called the City they turned off the gas leak and today I have a plumber scheduled to arrive 'between noon and 6:00pm'...good thing I took a 5 min hot shower last night before all the hotwater was gone...

3. I am sad to say that our next door neighbor passed away yesterday..at least I think he did...(I talked to his wife this morning and he did pass last night)...he has had pancreatic cancer for the past year or so and it had spread to his liver and he was slowly drifting away...there have been a crowd of friends at the house since Monday, he chose to come home and die instead of a hospital with strangers - can't blame him...We are gonna miss him (Dennis) as he was one of the reasons we bought this house! When we met him, we just liked him so much and he and his wife (Donna!) are just the best neighbors you can have...We've only had 6 years living next to them, but we sure did appreciate them...

4. I feel that I need to clarify how the Garage Sale items work - someone was upset that I misrepresented the pieces she received - but I sent exactly what I pictured in the page (she said they were nothing like what was pictured, I don't understand that statement, I didn't do a 'switcheroo' or anything)...If you spy something you want and have a question about it EMAIL ME and ask...If you want to see the ring on my hand, or need a size spec on the stone ASK ME...I didn't want to take 4 pics per ring to cover all aspects of the piece because the time it would take to shoot and process them would outweigh the $20 I'm asking for the piece...I have had folks email and ask about the pieces, I'm happy to answer whatever you want to know -especially if it means you won't be buying a piece you are unhappy with..I don't appreciate the accusation that I am being dishonest or trying to dupe you into something - please ask before purchasing if you aren't sure...that's all you need to do...

5. A few folks have asked if I have the 1.5" Icicle earrings in stock and I do, but not many sets left...I need to go get more wire to make more of them and the 1", but as long as you see the 'ad to cart' button there, then they are instock...Oh, and in class my instructor helped me come up with an alternative to make these work as PENDANTS so that you could wear the beads on your neck...I'm still working out the details to those, tho, so it'll be a bit before i have anything to show, but how fun would it be to use those Fiore Massicio or Stella beads that I made for the Max and Me Beads jewlery..remember those? They are too wide to make the curve for the earrings, but they'd work perfectly on a straight pendant...so stay tuned for those...

And I guess that's it for now, back in a bit with the results on the beads...i hope the BF was berry berry good to me...

Love Monkey

Ahhh...a new tv show that gives me my weekly fix of NYC scenery...Sex and the City used to do it, and I still watch those reruns, but now there's a new show that I actually rather enjoy, although it could use a bit of tweaking here and there..I like Tom Cavanaugh, he's good, his sidekick buddies are kinda 'ehhh', but the music is fun and the dialog is snappy-quick paced like Gilmore Girls (another fave that I TiVo)...I'm glad that American Idol tryouts are over, they were badly edited and the folks were sad and pathetic and really foul-mouthed...wow...

So here's a pic of the fused earrings I made yesterday...they are weird and organic and I thought of new ideas all the way home...

I did make some new beads last night, I'm happy with some, not happy with others...so I'll be back at it again today...lets see what happens...

Hello, goodbye, hello..

Quick update, gotta get to work and get stuff done...just got back from class, had a great time, learned some cool new fusing technique and sold mucho beados to classmates...sweet..

if you haven't been visiting CuteOverload in awhile, you ought to bookmark it and keep up...always good for a smile...

Ok kids, that's it...back when I have some cool stuff to show you...I've pulled new colors, and organized some cool stringer, can't wait to get going...yeehaw!

Let It Snow...

Well, I can pretend, right? Actually that pic was from our last trip to NYC in 2003, there was a fantastic snowstorm that weekend and we had a blast stomping around in snow...so, in honor of it being February, lets all pretend we had a winter and you had to bundle up...

Oh yeah, I forgot - we didn't watch the Animal Planet Puppy Bowl, but we did catch the Kitty HalfTime show and we laughed so much we started to get exhausted...there's nothing like kittens jumping on one another to make us laugh...hope you caught it too...

Yes, I watched the SuperBowl yesterday, but tried to stay away from all the pre-game, halftime hooha...we did catch the commericals, most were blah, but the Ameriquest ads made us laugh...Our cable provider has turned HBO on in our home again, we don't know why, but we took advantage of watching Napoleon Dynamite and Ferris Bueller inbetween the boring parts...granted, we own both of those movies, and i'm sure the channels (there are like 80 HBO channels now a days) will be gone in a few days, but it was fun to see Napoleon get hit in the face with a steak again...Maybe I will, gosh!

I am heading to the post office, and then to my office, so I'll be out of contact for the day, but hopefully will have some treats and eats for you later this week...that's my goal...I am thrilled that everything is leaving the house and heading your way...keep an eye out!

Raaaahhhhhhhhhhhh.....

I've been doing a pretty good job about leaving the roses alone, not hovering over them TOO much and just letting them grow and do their thing...yesterday I was taking inventory and sure enough there are new buds on them...it was like 'bam' they popped up - obviously cause I wasn't hovering over them, making them nervous...we visited the nursery today and they received their big order of antique roses, so I compared their growth to mine, and sure enough everything seems to be right on course...their Old Blush buckets were blooming and I have 3 or 4 buds on mine, ready to pop...but most everything else they had was waiting until it got a bit warmer...I expect in the next couple of weeks to start seeing some pink on these guys...Next week is a free class on antique roses at the nursery, so we'll be there front and center...I want to find out about pruning, and planting companion plants...pics will be coming once I have something pic-worthy...

Do you hear that? that's the roar of the crowd, cheering because I have completed packaging all the beads and eBay treats and will be labeling them to go out in tomorrow's mail...29 packages...took hours yesterday, but its so good to see the piles (I separate them by weight) of packages...rrraaaaahhhhhhh!!!!!!

Tony Robbins Hungry...I am being shuttled out of the house for breakfast and a new truckload of mulch...back after Tony Robbins gets his breakfast...

Venice awaits...

I ran across my Italian pictures and it was so fun looking through them again, so I thought I'd share an image with you...I never have gone thru and optimized all the shots, there are over 300 and I guess I should do 10 a week until they are all done, eh...I'm ready to go back...sigh...and Rick Steves is babbling about Italy on tv right now, so I must need to eat pasta for dinner tonight, huh...prego!

Enjoy your Saturday and I'll be back with more for ya later...

More Rings have been posted

Ya'll thought I was out of my mind when I said this was gonna happen, didnja? Well my pretties, here ya go...

Brian's company orders hot homemade cookies and has them delivered at his office...who said the 90's decadence was gone? i wonder if they ride Segway's around the office and play video games during break...

I've posted new silver rings...sorry for the small size, I have small fingers and it makes my friends angry cause they can't steal them off my fingers...ha! go see if you find anything that suits ya...

I was taking inventory of my plants, checking all the roses, which are all putting on new growth, and I found 9 fresh stalks of my amaryllis plant...

I had them flower over the Christmas holiday here in my rock garden on my desk, and when they were done, I clipped them short and stuck 'em in the ground...I didn't know if they'd grow or not, but figured, well, if not, at least they'll decompose and return to the earth...but this morning, I see 9 thin little stalks all poking outta the ground..I think I planted 12 bulbs, but can't rememeber...I'm one of those 'thankful' gardners- if anything grows, I'm thankful...so maybe in a couple of months I'll have more amaryllis...I have paperwhites going nuts in the rock garden right now, they are growing so fast the stalks are falling over...they'll go in the ground next...

I noticed the other day that there are caterpillars all over the gate where we take the dog out for a walk...after I toss the caterpillars off the passion vine, they find a cool place to hang out and change into butterflies...well, i guess they like the gate cause there are like 6 of them hanging around...fresh butterflies are hatching every day, and most of the time they make their escapes, but the other day Abigail cornered one and remove most of its wings...pretty sad...

back with more later...TGIF!

Groundhog Day!

A quick drive by update...half (!) of the icicle beads are done...the other half will be finished today...lets just say, there were over 40 sets on my agenda to make...thanks ya'll!

Did you see American Idol from Austin last night? Pretty sad...The zombies were local college kids making a statement on how TV is turning us into mind-eating brainless people - and then AI turned the table and put them on the show...brainless indeed...The 'talent' was weak, but thank goodness most of the embarressing folks were from out of town...next week in Boston is lookin' pretty good, tho...

Its gonna be 82 here today...boy howdy...Clementine came out of her hole, crawled up on the jetski and saw her shadow, then took a sun nap...

Ok then, I'm off and running, dog is barking at I don't know what...time to get to work!

Tick Tock Scully...

I've found a link to the Cowbell skit, click the Garage Sale pic and then click the link under Will Ferrell, if you NEED MORE COWBELL!

Noon has arrived, the beads are spoken for and I have a lot of work to do! thanks for all the orders, I will get these out to ya'll very shortly...in the meantime, go have some fun...

An obscure X-Files reference if you're confused...But what it means is, the Icicle Beads have been a HUGE success (huge, huge), so I will be taking the buttons down for them at noon today...I have loads of these guys to remake, and to keep me from getting loopy, I have to declare the mandate: No more orders by noon today...so let it be written, so let it be done...

Of course once I'm done making all these, it'll free me up to get on new bead goodies...and isn't that what ya'll really want?? I bet it is...

the kiln is heating up, my eyes are opening (why is it easier to get up some days than others...today I am slogging around, what is with that?) and I'm getting some bananas for breakfast...its overcast and cool here, perfect for staying inside...

And if you're watching the train wreck known as American Idol, tonight's episode was filmed here in Austin last summer...no, you won't see me there, I know I can't sing, and I'm way too old to even compete...last night's show was terrible, and why is it turning into a foul-mouthed "Lets Make a Deal"?? costumes are not required, the behind the scenes people shouldn't keep putting these idiots thru...the bad singing is enough, the meltdowns are funny enough...no more props, no more costumes...I don't have high hopes for tonight's ep, but I'll still be watching...how pathetic am I...I hate being addicted to a tv show...argh!!!