Monday, June 29, 2009

Independence is Great



~~~


"In the United States, Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, picnics, concerts, baseball games, political speeches and ceremonies, and various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States."

~~~

This year my daughter will really be able to enjoy this wonderful holiday. She's always been too young to understand it or to fully appreciate the beautiful fireworks. She is only 3, so she still won't understand it, but at least she might like it :) I'm excited for her.
Unfortunately this is the only photo I have of her from last year's July 4th... We were visiting my sis in Mass., the day was rained out... So we all stayed home, but it was still a good day! :)

Personal fireworks are illegal here, because of the dry environment the risk is just too great for fire. But maybe we'll be able to get by with some sparklers *crosses fingers*
How will you celebrate your Indendence?




Sunday, June 28, 2009

Sassyglassjewelry Giveaway

Blog Giveaway!
~Starts Sunday, June 28 and Ends Sunday, July 12 at Midnight (MTN)~
~~~

Sassyglassjewelry is allowing me to host her wonderful giveaway!
Someone very lucky has a chance to win this beautiful Red Jasper Necklace!
Will it be YOU?



~~~



Sassyglassjewelry sells beautifully handmade jewelry using natural stones, gemstones, high quality metals, and her own lampwork beads.
~
She also makes lampwork beads at

I like your Sassy store name, how did you create it? When I first began making jewelry, my friends told me it was "sassy". I looked the word up in the dictionary and felt the many definitions...bold, chic, fashionable, and stylish...described my beads and my jewelry.











You're very talented, when did you discover this talent? Thank you! I have crafted since I was a little girl but I believe the turn around to fine art was when hubby and I moved to Florida. I decided to take an oil painting class and I was hooked and I was pretty good at it. I painted for years with oils and acrylics and actually taught acrylic painting for several years. About 10 years ago I began making jewelry and was purchasing lampwork beads to use in my designs. After a couple of years of buying the beads, I decided I wanted to make my own beads and that became an art form that I absolutely became addicted to. About a year ago, my hubby and I took a silversmithing class and I am now totally addicted to working with silver and natural stones. I am very fortunate to be able to spend most of my days doing something I love but wake up each morning struggling with...do I want to make beads or do I want to make jewelry. I guess that's a good dilemma.












Your jewelry consists of so many beautiful stones, which stone is your favorite? I think Ocean Jasper is my favorite...it comes in so many colors and designs; no two are alike. Unfortunately, it is a material that is becoming extinct.












I understand your hubby and you work together. Who does what in this combination? Jim is a tool and die maker/machinist and owns a full-service machine shop so he has equipment that really lends itself to some aspects of jewelry making. We have always discussed collaborating on designs but it wasn't until we took the silversmithing classes that we realized how his skills and mine could be meshed. One of the ways we have collaborated is with our Kokopelli pieces. He drew the pattern and programmed his CNC machine (fancy machine that can cut out metal) to cut the image out of the silver. I then used this piece as the backplate for one of my designs, setting the stone on top of it so the stone shows through the cut out. We have several other ideas we are currently collaborating on. (The links are to 2 examples of the Kokopelli)Here and Here











When you're not busy creating beautiful jewelry, what other craft do you enjoy? Lampworking...I love taking rods of glass and transforming them into beautiful glass beads.














If you could do anything, what is the one thing you'd hope to accomplish in your life? This may sound trite but I have pretty much accomplished everything I have set out to do...at this stage of my life, I just want to remain healthy and continue to do the things I love doing with husband and my family.














We know what you love to make for others, but what kind of things do you buy for yourself? Wow, I don't really buy jewelry any more. When I was in the corporate world, I bought a lot of jewelry and it was mostly gold and some gemstones....my birthstone is Amethyst and it is one of my favorite gemstones. Now, when I wear jewelry, it is usually one of my own creations.










Our Fellow Etsians are great people, if you could meet one of them who would it be? I would love to meet the members of my Etsy team, "Metalsmiths In Action"











Is there an interesting blog that you'd like to recommend to my readers? Mine! Seriously, I follow a lot of blogs and they are all interesting in their own way...too many to narrow it down to one.














~~~

~The Prize~



Now For The Rules Of The Giveaway

To enter this giveaway you must follow my blog.
AND
Go to Sassyglassjewelry and choose your favorite item, come back here and leave a link for us to see.

***
For EXTRA Entries
(Please leave a new comment for each extra entry)

1-For two extra entries, Blog about this giveaway with a link back here. Come back and leave 2 comments with a link to your blog.

2-For two extra entries, post my Blog Button on your Blog Sidebar. Come back and leave 2 comments with a link to your blog.

3-For four extra entries, make a purchase from either of her stores. Come back here and leave 4 comments with a link to your purchase.

4-You can earn one more extra entry EACH day that you twitter about this giveaway! Just leave a new comment everyday with the new twitter link.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Fishing Trip Gone Red

For a late Father's Day my hubby and I went fishing!

We took an inflatable 5 person raft to a large pond, we weren't able to take our beautiful Bayliner this time :(

It was a wonderful pond, look how pretty and peaceful it is.
















(Below)

See all the fluffy white cotton floating on the water top?
It was very annoying. It blew into our food, eyes, noses..you name it.
It sure was pretty though.


Like a fairytale. Just he and I floating alone.





















~~~
There I am with my fabulous pink fishing pole! I just dyed my hair before the trip, it's much brighter than I intended.
What do you think? I know, but it'll fade quickly.



~~~


My pink fishing pole brings the fish to the pond..
Do you love my Lovely fishing pole?

~~~




I have to say something here.
Aren't all these hooks overkill? I mean, do we really want to mangle the fish we catch?
Isn't one hook enough?!

~~~

I look like a lobster!

<--See how sad I am? I have never had burnt knees, till now.

Every inch of me is burned, well aside from my torso and thighs...



I've been lying in bed trying not to move. OUCH

Lying in beds hurts too!



~~~

Seems like I bump into everything in the house now. My kids keep touching my burns...

:( Whoa is me! I need to go back to bed and lie there till the pain subsides.

Lesson Learned: Wear sunscreen!

But there is a massive yard sale tomorrow that I can't miss! This is insanity, but I must go. There are going to be 60ish sales in one neighborhood!

~~~





RED LOBSTER PONYTAIL HOLDER
mommysyellinggirl

Peace Lobster (10 notecards)

CapeCard

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Yard Sale Finds

I am addicted to Yard Sales



Man Without A Country
Edward E. Hale















This book was my favorite yard sale find. It was only .50$! What a steal for an antique book!
This book was given to Charles Good on Sept. 5 1902, exactly 83 years before I was born.
The latest copyright on this book is 1897, almost as old as dinosaurs! haha

I don't know much about books and all the dates printed on the page...

Do you know what all those dates and prints are for?


I've been researching this book to find its worth, it's proving to be a very difficult task.

The prices seem to range from $2.00-$15,000.00! It depends on the year of publication, the cover, and of course the shape the book is in.

But I can't find this particular one. I can't find this book that was published in 1897 with the same cover. In fact the book that was worth $15,000.00 was published up to 10 years after this one.
Could that mean this book is rare or worth more? Or have I just not found it...

This has been a popular read, it's latest publication was 2002 (I believe), there have even been movies made from this book.


Even if it's worth nothing, I'm happy to have it.


I'm absolutely in love with the cover of this book... All the gold, the lady in red, the frame.
It's beautiful.





And it looks spectacular on my shelf, see?


~~~


Look what else I got!

The bottle and bear are vintage :)

The aluminum bear is a candy mold, from at least the 70's. I don't plan on using this little guy, he'll sit up on my shelf with the antique book.

Can you guess what I'll be using my new tiny yellow vintage vase for?
Dandelions I'm sure! They just go together, don't you think?

And my piggy butter spreaders, I was told they were vintage, but I don't really know.
I don't care either way. They're just so cute!


Do you love yard sales too?
What kind of things to you look for?

~~~

I haven't received the colon cleanse yet, but I promise to post it as soon as it arrives.