Can We Extend the Weekend, Please?

We had absolutely gorgeous weather in the 80s this weekend!  Today is back in the 60s and cloudy.  I want more sunshine, please.

Saturday was filled with driving around on backroads with the kids, one soccer game, two photo shoots and an adult dinner out with friends (from the second photo shoot) while our kids spent the night with my Mom and Grandma. 

I had planned on being so very productive on Sunday, but it just didn't happen.  I was asleep on the couch before 9pm on Saturday night.  And was soon back to sleep soon after waking Sunday morning until lunch time.  Apparently, I needed the rest.  I don't recall the last time (years n years ago) where I slept away a whole morning. 

I had planned on spending much of my quiet time on the torch on Sunday, but that didn't happen.  Nor did quality computer time sorting and editing the 1000+ pics I took the day before.

At this pace, I'm not sure if I will be able to do a shop update on Saturday, March 26th.  But it is my current goal.

I am doing heel clicks while my head is spinning with the thought of our upcoming vacation over spring break.  We will be attending a karate camp as a family.  And then going on a road trip to/through Florida.  Driving to Jacksonville to spend an afternoon on the beach and then dinner with old friends.  Next morning, we'll be making the two hour drive to Orlando to spend TWO WHOLE DAYS AT DISNEY!!  I'm so excited.  I really didn't think we'd be able to go back so soon (as in anytime sooner than 2015), but it worked out for us and I couldn't be happier about it.  The last day of vacation, we'll be driving to Clearwater Beach to spend the day playing in the sand and the gulf before having dinner with a good friend of mine I have known since college.  The drive back from Tampa will be a long one, but so worth it after so many days of non-stop fun as a family.

And I'm betting I will be able to finish my afghan and maybe start a couple of smaller ones for the kids since they haven't stopped asking me to make them their own blankets.  :)

The screws in the top hinge on our pantry door have pulled loose.  I suppose I have too many spices in the spice rack on the inside of my pantry door, so now we have to lift the door up to get it in the door frame to close it securely.  I need to do something about that.  Meanwhile, I'm lifting up on all doors as I close them out of habit from shutting the pantry door.

Promise I'm will be on the torch at least two evenings this week to make new beads and buttons to share with you all.  Hold me to it, please.  Someone come flog me with wet noodles if I don't, ok?

TGIF Randomness!

I am so thankful today is Friday.

I think I am going to start shooting for a theme each week when making new beads.

Swirls one week.

Nuggets the next.

I have already started beads for the update after tomorrow.

 I think they will all mostly be etched.

My shop has been low on etched beads for quite awhile.

I haven't made sea glass beads in ages.  So there will definitely be a few sets of those.

My goal is to also continue to update the shop with eggs at least once each month.

And new buttons with each update.

I'm liking this little button.  Because of how I squashed her, her holes are aligned a little differently than the others.  Must make more of these.

We are in the middle of a week of temps in the 70s and glances of the sun.  I'm so happy.  This weekend will be filled with trips to local parks for the kids to play and wear themselves out.

Check out my shop tomorrow after 2pm EST to see all the beads above get listed.

Have a great weekend everyone!

It's the Simple Things

That make me happy.

Warm silverware and plates as I unload the dishwasher

The last sweet kiss from my kids before they get out of the car to walk into school

Even when I get ocular migraines (where my vision gets all pixelated and screwy), I don't feel any pain and the residual headache after my vision returns to normal is just a little, dull one that a couple of ibuprofen ends quickly

The last words I hear every night are "Sweet dreams, honey.  I love you."

My hounds and my cats like to keep me company in my office while I work every day

Jezzie perched on my shoulder like a little bird as I walk around the house

My heated mattress pad cranked up to high a good nine months out of the year

Shadows of the leaves blowing on the tree outside my window.  I see the shadows on the grass and in my office on the floor and my desk

These two buttons will be in my shop update this Saturday afternoon.

I'm not sure what else will be going into the shop, but I'm on the torch tonight (hooray!) and plan on making as many beads as I can before I pass out from exhaustion and hit my head on the torch.  ;)

And in honor of this being the month where I begin my third year with Etsy, I'm taking 30% off everything in both shops if you use the coupon code THREEYEARS during checkout.  Through the end of the month!

Fruits of the Kiln

Here are many of the beads that have come out of my kiln this week.  Todd has been in Orlando most of the week, so my evenings have been free.  to.  torch.

These will all be going into the shop on Saturday after 1pm EST.  I'll show close up pics tomorrow :)

New Buttons

I have been totally slack this past week (or two) in responding to comments on the blog.  I'd like to take a moment to apologize to you all for that.  Work has been crazy hectic and I'm struggling to find balance right now with personal, professional and bead commitments I have made.  I told one customer last night I should just stop making commitments this week because I am keeping so few.  It makes me feel like crap.  :(  I don't like not following through on promises I have made and I need to better learn how to juggle all the different aspects of my life.

On the flip side, I am still convinced I have the best and most understanding and patient customers ever.  So thank you for that!

Since the custom buttons that were requested a coupla weeks ago have now been chosen and reserved (because I took a coupla weeks to actually make the aforementioned buttons), I have others that are now up for grabs.  I thought I should go ahead and list them since I have the pics all taken and ready to go. 

10,000 Leagues

Hot Mess

and

Blue Belt

All sales made before 8pm EDT tonight will get shipped out on Friday.  Anything purchased after that will be sent out on Monday, October 25th after I return from St. Louis.

I am so excited to go on another roadtrip so soon.  Can you tell?  Normally we wait months after the drive up to Minnesota and back in June/July.  So many good things (and not in any particular order) about this weekend!!!

Gooey Butter Cakes!

Seeing my Aunt Judy get married!

Jack In The Box tacos!

Seeing my Uncle Mike from Arizona!

Photographing my Aunt Judy get married!

Loading up on more Maul's barbecue sauce!

Taking my kids to the Magic House!

Driving for the better part of a day and seeing a vast amount of our countryside and farmland!

Spending time with my husband and kids for three solid days straight!

Getting a three day weekend and not worrying about work!

Are you tired of my exclamation points yet?!

:D

On another note, but equally exciting because I am so. very. thrilled. for my friend....  If you are a jewelry designer and you didn't already know, Lorelei and Erin Siegel landed their own book deal on leather, lace, cord and ribbon projects.  They have started a Flickr group and opened up a contest to decide upon another contributor (or two) to their upcoming book.

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!  I am looking forward to sharing pics of MY weekend once I return.

The Sun Came Out!

As much as we needed the rain and I have sooooo enjoyed listening to all the rain and the birds singing for the past two days with the windows open, I was so very thankful to see the sun come out.  When I saw the reflection of my fingers in the sunlight, it made me inexplicably happy.  Because, well, I'm a dork like that.  And it's the little things that normally make me the happiest.  :)

Lots of buttons shipped out today.  Yay!

I want to eat these!

I am really loving the color and shape of the items on the lower left.

This set should be going into the shop tonight.

As will these eight new buttons.  :)  It's a little hard to see in this pic, but I love the raised silvery dots on the clear button at the top.

I really like this little guy and have absolutely no recollection of what glass I used to make it.  Boo hiss.

Tonight I will be spending the evening on the couch next to my honeys.  I'll be listing beads and buttons and setting up more blog posts.  Tomorrow night I should be back on the torch.  Woot!

I hope you had a most excellent weekend and feel well rested for starting this week!  I know my three day weekend was much needed and yesterday was just the kind of relaxing day I needed and haven't had in months.

Friday Buttons

Woo hoo!  The wireless signal from my router reaches out to the driveway so I can have my laptop out here!  All of the shtuff is out on the driveway for our garage sale.  It felt really good to empty out soooo much of the attic yesterday and know that all of these baby items (high chair, bouncy, stroller, car seats) will find new homes and be used again.  But it also makes me sad that this is probably the final goodbye to my kids' baby things.  That there will be no more babies or little feet.

But enough of that.  I've got buttons to list in my shop!  I just finished cropping down all of the pics and will start getting them listed in my shop one by one.  If you see one you like, but are worried it may get snatched up before you can grab another you are waiting on...go ahead and get it.  I have no problem combining shipping and either sending you a revised invoice at the end of the day or refunding shipping monies if you go ahead and pay at the time of purchase.

I like the reflection in this bead, even though I normally try to make sure there aren't reflections of the house, windows or trees on my bead pics.

And yesterday brought a bunch of comments and compliments on the clear buttons circled in bright colors.  I wanted you to know that design idea was Lorelei's.  She and I were video chatting one night last week while I was on the torch and I asked her what she'd like to see, so that's what I made that night.

If anyone is interested in video chatting with me while I'm on the torch, just let me know and we'll set it up.  I love company while I'm melting glass and it's always fun to share what I do with others.  :)

And now I'm off to start listing these beauties in my shop and enjoy my day off.  Have a great Friday!

Done With Sneak Peeks

So I've been showing you pics of these.

And these.

And these.

But were you able to tell that this....

Is actually this?

With two holes?  :D

I only have four button mandrels, so that means I can only make four button beads each evening when I sit down at the torch.

Which is why I haven't been sharing these over the past coupla weeks.

Because I wanted to be able to have close to a coupla dozen to throw into my shop after showing you all.  :)

And now I have twenty two :D

These will all be going into the shop tomorrow.