One More Hour and My Shop Will Be Empty!

Last chance!  My shop will be emptied of all items in one hour when my Cyber Monday sale ends.

Just use CYBERMONDAY50OFF in the coupon field upon checkout to get your goodies for half price.

The Sale Goes On

Until I get back on the torch.  It didn't happen today as it took more than HALF the day for me to package up all the beads everyone scooped up yesterday in my Cyber Monday sale.  But I got them all carefully wrapped and handed off to our postal service this afternoon.  Not sure if I will get back on the torch tomorrow as I still (it didn't happen today and the priority dropped when I found there was enough leftover spaghetti to heat up for dinner tonight and get us through to tomorrow) need to go grocery shopping.  And I really need to get through piles of paperwork on my desk so everything is filed away neatly 1) to make sure all bills are paid and 2) a set of missing beads isn't buried beneath all the paperwork.

Since all of the remaining beads will be disappearing from the shop once this sale ends (I'm really ready for a clean slate!), I thought I would share my favorites that are still waiting for their new home.

Teal & Amber tablets

Etched Holly & Ivy

Purple On Honey

Mint Julep

Mustard Yellow Speckles

Ocean & Kelp

Bumpy Sunset button

Oasis Spiral focal

Yellow & Purple nuggets

Creamsicle button

Take 50% off on everything in my beads shop by using this coupon code:  CYBERMONDAY50OFF

Cyber Monday Sale!

I hope everyone stateside had a FABULOUS Thanksgiving with your friends and family members.  This is my most favorite holiday of the year.  I LOVE cooking BIG meals and having a table FILLED with people I love.  We were fortunate enough to come to Florida again this year and enjoy warmer temps.  Like short-sleeve shirt temps (at least for me)!  The kids and my honeys and my favorite father-in-law were all in shorts.  And now I'm in such a good mood after doing things like this:

that I thought I should share the love and host a serious sale for you all.  And it would be serious if it was anything less than 50% off EVERYTHING, would it?  See?  I told you this was serious.

So what do you need to do to take advantage?  Shop to your hearts content in my beads shop and then plug in the coupon code at checkout.  Etsy is kind enough to do the math and recalculate the total purchase price for you to half off the whole order.  If that total purchase price is $40 or higher, I will still be refunding your shipping charges.  Woo hoo for you!

Don't feel guilty.  Just take the coupon code below and go clear out my shop for me!  Make some room for new beads and headpins cause I'm ready to jump back on the torch this week!!!

CYBERMONDAY50OFF

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!

Gratitude Sale

Here's a brief recap of our trip to Disney.  I'm not ready to come home, but probably should while there is still money in the bank account...

I want to frame this to put in my studio!

The African safari in Animal Kingdom was my favorite thing!

Especially because I got to see meerkats in person.   I don't think I told you in my birthday post that I love meerkats or that Todd got me season 4 of Meerkat Manor for my birthday.  I am utterly fascinated with these strange little creatures.  Watching the MM episodes is like an extension of Watership Down, which captivated me as a child.

 

 I love mouse ears.

Chloe got princess hair and make up for the bargain price of $54.  Gulp.  Really?  Fake pink hair, lots of gel and hair spray and a little glitter on the face costs over fifty bucks?  Wow!  But it made her incredibly happy to be a princess for a day and was a rare splurge.  We heard one family with two girls received a bill for over $500.  How is that even possible?

Both kids liked playing these African drums.  Owen danced around between several to get in as many beats and sounds as quickly as possible.  I had fun watching him.

This was taken before we left the Magic Kingdom Sunday evening.  I really wasn't ready for the weekend to end.  We had soooo much fun!

Don't forget my Gratitude Sale is still going on through tonight!

Thanksgiving Holiday Break

On Tuesday, I got in my last hugs and pics of Little Horse before taking him to the kennel.  He is a sweetheart, but he can't be trusted left alone for more than a few hours.  I know he is in good hands because he gets to play with all the other dogs inside and outside all day long.  He will come home worn out when I pick him up next week!

Yesterday we drove down to Davenport, Florida which is just South of Orlando.  A normally 8 hour drive took us closer to 12 hours in the car with holiday traffic.  Even though we arrived before 10pm, I didn't get to bed until after midnight.  There were plenty of things I would have loved to have taken pics of to share with you, but I drove all but an hour and a half in my Mom's car.  During that hour and a half break, I was sleeping because I was so exhausted!  This is the one picture I did get when I woke up and took back the driver's seat.  I think Spanish moss on the trees is so cool.

This morning, we took off for Clearwater Beach and ate lunch at a cafe right on the ocean.  We sat outside and I enjoyed the best helping or Huevos Rancheros.

Then we walked all of 100 feet and saw this wonderful view.

There was no hesitation in taking off my shoes and socks to bury my pigs in the sand today.  It was so warm!  In the 80s with a nice breeze (that'd be 29C for you anti-Fahrenheit folks) and I didn't even get cold walking in the water.  I was shocked to find that it was warm enough for me to wish I had a swim suit to go all the way into the water.

Right as I walked up to the shoreline, I saw a dorsal fin.  There were only two dolphins and they didn't stay long.  I felt so fortunate to witness this because normally I'm the one with my eyes shut or back turned when everyone else sees the shooting stars or the deer cross the road.

My kids had so much fun chasing each other and running through the sand and water.  This is my most favorite shot of the day.

I liked the silhouette of Pier 60 against the horizon.

More pure joy and exuberance from my kids.  I really could not have asked for a better Thanksgiving Day.  So many things throughout made me pause and think about how thankful I am, both for things that happened today and already in my life.

My honeys is at the top of my list.  He is my rock and keeps me grounded.  He helps me to not be so serious and remember that being silly is a good thing.  I could not ask for a better father to our children.  Or a better supporter when I want to try something new.  He is my love.

I am thankful for my children, who help me see so much through new eyes.

My family and friends, who aren't afraid to remind me of when/how I screwed up in the past and how much I have grown.

My friends who are patient with my lack of reaching out to pick up the phone or send an email and trust that when I'm no longer drowning with work and life that I will call and email them.  

My time on the torch to create, relax and unwind.

My wonderful customers and friends who keep coming back to my blog to look and comment.  You guys really keep me going.  I know very few of you in real life, but your support and encouragement means so much to me.

So.

My way of saying thanks...

For coming back to my blog, even when I'm slack and can't keep up with posts.  

For being repeat customers.

For just being you.

If you see something in my bead or jewelry shop, enter GRATITUDE in the coupon code field at check out for 20% off your entire order.  This little appreciation sale will be going on through Monday, November 29th.  All items will ship out on Tuesday, November 30th.

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day if you celebrate this holiday.  

I hope that you are surrounded by love and have more blessings to count than you know what to do with.  

I hope that you may also have as wonderful of a day as I had today.

Tuesday Ramblings

A scorpion made its way into my kitchen last night.  It is the first time I have ever seen one alive and it made me yell at Todd to get his toukis off the sofa in the middle of the Vikings game and take care of it.  There was to be no waiting for a commercial break.  Even though I know scorpions in the SouthEast are not poisonous, it made me lose my senses and yell.  I probably saw Clash of the Titans one too many times as a child.  Glad I can take care of snakes, leezards and rodents without squealing like a school girl to help redeem myself when I lose it over creepy insects.

 I think I'm ready to make eggs again.  But not at the same level as I was previously.  I am willing to entertain custom requests, but not with a waiting list.  And so, I will be making random sets to throw into the shop here and there.  

I remembered the combination of glass I used to make this little guy and now want to make many, many more.  I lurve the colors!

Which leads to shop updates.  I am trying to lessen the time I spend on the computer so I can spend more time doing the things I want to be doing.  Reading to the kidlets.  Cooking.  Simplifying.  Torching.  Teaching Owen how to cook (did I tell you he is cooking dinner for us once a week?  he is so proud of himself!  not many other eight year olds in his class are cooking dinner for their families.  he feels so responsible.  and so NEEDED by our family.  I love that).  Holding my honeys hand.  Getting my mess of a yard in order because I've let it go too long.  It's disgraceful.  My goal is to get 2-3 nights a week on the torch and then add everything to the shop on Friday nights after I get the kids in bed at 8pm ET.  That should give me plenty of time throughout the week to get sunny pics of what comes out of the kiln.

Some of the ducks at the Cider Mill had crazy hair like this one. 

I am still coming off the high of having a wonderful weekend with my friend.  Hard coming back to reality, but now I have next Friday to look forward to...we'll be driving up to St. Louis to see my aunt get married.  Which means we can load up on Gooey Butter Cakes from Dierberg's and meals at the Pasta House Restaurant where they have wonderful salads and the best creamy cavatelli ever.

I moved my jewelry from Etsy to Facebook where I think it will be easier for my customers to make purchases and Paypal can still be used for the payment method.  If you're a Facebook fan of my page, that earns you an extra 10% off your purchase.  And I'm offering FREE shipping on all of my jewelry here in the states.  I plan on getting new necklaces into the shop this month that will have single pendants dangling from simple chains.  And more earrings.

This used bookstore in Cooperstown ROCKED!

While I ate these chimichangas for dinner last Friday night at Lorelei's house and then again for my breakfast on BOTH Saturday AND Sunday, I did not get my fill.  I will need to make a batch of my own this week.  I'm addicted.  Serious cravings are plaguing me morning, noon and night for these.

I am craving Mississippi Mud Cake.  Horribly.  And fighting off the strong desire to make the cake just so I can eat it all by myself.  Because I no longer have the same metabolism I had in high school where I could eat a whole batch of brownie mix or cookie dough in one sitting.  On a weekly basis.  Not that I want to do that on a weekly basis now.  But it would be nice.  Some weeks.  :)  On a similar note, I have slid from my No Soda path and am drinking more Coke Zeros than I would like to admit.  I need to become more diligent about making green tea and drinking more water.  Again. 

Jezzie caught and killed a chipmunk earlier.  Made me sad to see her run around the backyard with it dangling from her mouth and then tossing it up in the air.  I buried the little guy in our side yard.  He was so soft.

Later this week or early next, an interview is coming with the woman you see below.  I'm excited to share more with you about her studio (including LOTS of pics!) and her answers to the questions I still need to write.  :)

Grown Up Beads and Torch Frustration

I just got more photos of some of my egg beads all grown up and had to share.  I LOVE what these ladies did with my eggs!

Courtney made these two necklaces with my eggs.

Next up is the collaborative work of Beth and Evie from EB Bead and Metalworks.  Beth already had a vision when she asked me for cobalt and lapis beads.  Read about her inspiration here.  And then read here to learn about the whole process that went into making this.  Great vision, Beth!

Beth and her Mom create wonderful lampwork and metal components, like this little Kokopelli.  Check out their shop here.  There are also pieces of jewelry in there.  Through emails and her blog, I have noticed that Beth and Evie love to spend time together and have a blast creating and making art.  You don't know how much that makes me smile and feel warm inside to hear about a mother and daughter being so close in their adult years.

In case you didn't notice the link in the upper left, Lorelei is having a big sale in her Etsy shop and marked EVERYTHING down $10.  Great deals in there, people.  Think about some items that you could give as Christmas presents and get some of your shopping done early.

I sat at the torch for close to two hours last night.  I made a few more eggs and tried to make more of some beads I listed and sold the other day for a special request.  But honestly, it was all drudgery.  Every other bead was a disaster.  The bead release (mud) was breaking off the mandrels.  Glass was popping and flying back at me.  I was gnashing my teeth and looking at the clock, wondering when Todd would be home from tennis and I could go walk Little Horse.  It was like I had been away from the torch for weeks/months and nothing was working right.  I am so thankful this is a rare occurrence and will be back on the torch again tonight, since it is the first NFL game.  And the Vikings game will be on.  In HD.  You can tell I'm a supportive wife, no? :D

Friday Randomness

This makes me happy.  Lots of packages to be delivered to my customers and TWO packages coming next week to me.  Woot!

I am moving more quickly through the rest of the egg orders and this makes me happy and excited. Both to get to people on the wait list, but also because I am getting closer to sitting down at the torch without an agenda. And getting to the point where I can designate one or two nights a week to working with metals and/or making jewelry again.

I saw these guys up in a bucket truck when I ran to the welding shop for more stainless steel rods to cut into mandrels.  It made me so very thankful that all of the strike duty training I went through a year and a half ago in Dallas was never put to the test and I didn't have to get out in a bucket truck or climb telephone poles!

Sometimes I think my Little Horse looks as big as a wolf all sprawled out on the floor.  I love that I can see his speckled, freckled skin, even if it is because I gave him a shoddy haircut.  And need to finish it because his haunches have grown so long that now I have to shave his rear end.  Trust me, you don't want details.

I saved a chipmunk from Henry this morning.  The poor thing was most humiliated as Henry carried him around the backyard upside down by his TAIL.  I opened my office window to yell at him to drop the chipmunk and then took off running through the house and then the backyard to make him release the frightened creature.  As I was running, I thought I should have grabbed my camera to take pics because Henry really did not want to drop the poor guy.  But I was more concerned about freeing the chipmunk from the impending torture Henry would have delivered in his attempt to play (because Henry is not a hunter and does not kill the creatures, he just bats and bites in play as they try to run away and then tails or feet are hurt and then there are tears). 

You haven't met Jezebelle yet.  She is a hard one to photograph because she is ALWAYS moving.  So the pics are ALWAYS blurry.  Jezzie is the biggest sweetheart ever.  Last night I brought Little Horse into her room (she's quarantined until Sunday when she can be released in the house) and she just purred and purred and headbutted him the whole time.  He just sniffed her and then ignored her after he laid down next to me.  I can see Jezzie walking on top of him and then curling up for a warm nap!  And no, she isn't winking at me.  Jezzie only has one eye.  The other was removed after the vet's office (where someone left her!) was unable to treat her eye infection through meds.

Tomorrow I am going white water rafting with my friend Tabitha and four husbands from my street.  Get the feeling the majority of the wives are content with less adventure and more of having their feet on the ground? :)  It is going to be such a FUN day and I can NOT wait!  This is the first time in about ten years that I have gone white water rafting.  I used to go once or twice a year in my late teens and early twenties.  I have missed it.  

Check out this bracelet that Lorelei made with my eggs!

So what's on your weekend agenda?  Resting?  Adventure?  Productivity?  I wanna hear!

Oh, and don't forget about my BOGO 1/2 sale going on in my jewelry shop through the end of the month! :D

BOGO HALF OFF Sale on Jewelry

I want to make some space.  

Both in my cabinets AND in my mind.  

So here is one of the few sales you will ever see me do.  

To make way for a little extra sanity in my head, I'm giving you Christmas till the end of August  extended through Labor Day weekend (September 6).  

Buy anything in my jewelry shop and get half off a second item of equal or lesser value.  

Keep the purchase price over forty bucks and you get free shipping.

Just type BOGO in the notes to seller when you check out in Etsy.

Happy shopping. I hope you find something you like or to gift to one of the women in your life come Christmas!

I have hundreds of jewelry customers (just go look to see all of my jewelry that has previously sold! earrings, bracelets and necklaces) and so many report back to me about the compliments they receive.  That's always nice to hear. :)

All of my jewelry is unique and one of a kind.  You won't bump into anyone else wearing the same item.  Ever!

Remember, leave BOGO in the notes to seller.  If you choose to pay immediately, I will refund the sale amount back to you through Paypal.  Or I can send you a revised invoice if you want to wait.