The Swimmer

I have a labrador retriever and while she is not always great at the retrieving...at least with the dropping it part...she is true to her water dog nature and absolutely LOVES to swim.  We were out in Hallettsville not too long ago and she had a super time fetching her plucked chicken toy in the lake.

"Throw it!!!"

So happy!

My First Custom Order - with pictures!

As I mentioned before, my first custom order was purchased by a bride that married last month. My friend Kasey of Monkey Tree Photography snapped these photos of the jewelry.

I was so excited to see the pictures of this beautiful bride in jewelry that I made!  Absolutely made my day!

BRAtober - cocktail party for a good cause

I recently went with some friends to a Charity Chicks Houston event called BRAtober. I believe this was the second year the event was held and each year it benefits a charity for breast cancer awareness.  It was SO much fun.  People can enter the bra art contest and the attendees get to vote on their favorite art.  The art was awesome!

This is the one I voted for.  I love butterflies.

Hunting for the cure!!

Over the Shoulder Boulder Holder, HA!

My friend Kasey made this one!!

A 9 year old made this one!!

There was bra art, cocktails, snacks and a silent auction...it was a fun evening!

My fabulous friend Kasey, being goofy with my above, is not only a fabulous bra artist, but also an amazing photographer, who donated her talents to the party for the evening.  Here are Monkey Tree Photography's photos from the event.

And finally, here we all are in the Funky Monkey Photobooth!

 

My First Custom Order

I was very excited to make my first custom jewelry order and was even more excited that it was for a bride on her wedding day.  It is pretty cool to have someone want to wear your work, but it is super cool to have someone want to wear it on such an important day!

Kelly of Eventology Weddings, who helped me plan my wedding contacted me after seeing some of my jewelry on Facebook and asked if I took custom orders.  She sent me a picture of a necklace similar to the one the bride wanted created and I went from there. 

I made two pieces, a necklace and a bracelet with swarovski crystals and non-tarnish silver wire.  The bride had the awesome idea of adding her something blue to her necklace.  I did a little drop on the clasp with a blue crystal and a clear crystal.  It turned out very beautifully.

My BFF Kasey, a very talented photographer (Monkey Tree Photography) just so happened to be photographing the wedding.  Here is a blog of hers that has a slide show from the wedding!  Enjoy!

Happy Falloween!

Yes, Falloween!  My theory on decorating for this time of year is to blend a large amount of fall decorations that will last me from September until after Thanksgiving when the Christmas decorations come out, with a few Halloween items that come out from the end of September to the beginning of November.  So Happy Falloween!  Here is what I have around my house right now...

On my front door I have a door bucket with some wonderful fall sunflowers.

In my entry way on my decorative door knob hooks, I have a Happy Halloween witch.

In the kitchen I have a jack-o-lantern candle holder on my stove and a beaded pumpkin one on the bar.

In the dining room I have a fall flower arrangement and bowl of gourds on the side board and an arrangement of jack-o-lanterns on the dining table.

In the living room I have fall decorations on the coffee table and end table and Halloween decorations hanging on the hooks of my wall mirror and a jack-o-lantern on another table.

A glass container in my guest bathroom that holds shells in other months of the year gets switched with small gourds in the fall.

 On the balcony I have a fantastic metal jack-o-lantern that stays out all year.  When it isn't October he lives under the table and holds mosquito spray, but in October he is out front and center, ready for beautiful fall evenings.  He is accompanied by a spider planter decoration.

And of course since I spend so much time in the office, there has to be a fall theme there too.  Here is the wreath from my door and my little jack-o-lantern.

Oops! Been Awhile!!

When I created this blog my goal was to blog every week.  Well, it’s been over 3 weeks, shame on me!  This must mean that I have lots and lots to say!  Well, I do…so I plan on breaking it down into several blogs so that I don’t have too many topics going on at one time. 

Coming your way will be a blog on my fall decorations, another jewelry blog and a blog about a fabulous cocktail party for a good cause.  Stay tuned….

Jewelry

My niece is turning 11 next Saturday.  She is turning into such a young lady and I am loving it, even while I 'm trying to figure out exactly how it is possible for her to already be 11.  Time flies.  With her new found maturity she is starting to like more grown up things so for her birthday I have created her some jewelry.

First two bracelets made with glass beads on Stretch Magic 1 mm jewelry cord.

Then I decided she needed an even more grown up bracelet, so I created another glass bead bracelet, but this time with wrapped loops using 24 gauge non-tarnish silver wire.

I didn't want my sister to be too jealous, so I made her a drop for her neck wire.  It's a large stone bead and a small glass bead on 20 gauge non-tarnish silver wire with a sterling silver bail.

While I was on a roll, I decided to fancy up some pony tail holders; for these I also used stone beads and 20 gauge non-tarnish silver wire.

Nearing the End

I have been scrapbooking events leading up to our wedding, the wedding and honeymoon.  I was very excited to be almost finished when I started arranging the honeymoon photos, but I realized that there were lots of pictures missing!  BOO on my organizing skills!  I thought I had everything all there and cropped and ready to go.  I had to switch gears and order pictures...that was done over a week ago and today after work I am going to pick them up...finally!  Hurray.  Maybe I will be finished with scrapbooking wedding things from two years ago and can actually start filling the book with events since then.  Better late than never though, right?

Some of the pictures I will be picking up!

Then I can move back to jewelry making!  I have gotten back to beading and really loving it.  I posted some pictures on Facebook and my wedding coordinator asked if I was taking orders...uh, yes...sure I am!  This weekend I hope to finish scrapbooking the honeymoon and make some bracelets for Courtney's birthday; my niece is turning 11 on the 18th.  Then everything I ordered for the custom piece should be here and I can get busy on it; I hope to be finished with it in the middle of next week.  The bride's wedding is the 25th!  She had a great idea, she wants her something blue to be one bead hanging from the clasp in the back.  Love it!

Twenty Five Miles

It's twenty five miles from home

Girl, my feet are hurting mighty bad

Now I've been walking for three days, and two lonely nights
You know that I'm mighty mad

But I got a woman waiting for me

That's gonna make this trip worthwhile

Twenty Five Miles by Edwin Starr is a GREAT workout playlist song. I like to put it in my list during the home stretch...before cool down when you can't keep your eyes off the clock counting down. It gives me that energy to keep going.

I listen to the words and realize...I didn't have to walk for three days and two nights, my workout is much shorter, so it helps curb the whining in my head.  AND there is a woman waiting for me...a healthier me...and she definitely makes the trip worthwhile!

Come on feet don't fail me now

The Original Grand Idea

My first blog...it better be good, right?  No pressure.

Honestly I have no idea where my grand idea is going.  I suppose this blog will be a compilation of grand ideas from all areas of my life, so here is a little about me to give you an idea of what types of posts you may see here.

I'm a wife, dog/cat mom, aunt, daughter, sister and friend...so you will probably hear about people that make me who I am today.  I enjoy writing, my undergraduate degree is in communication with a focus in journalism.  I love to cook and find ways to make healthy options out of unhealthy recipes.  I see recipes as idea suggestions more than directions to follow.  I don't think I have ever followed one exaclty unless I have been baking.  I love to decorate, I am constantly rearranging small pieces in my home and office to find new ways to enjoy them.  It is amazing what a little rearranging can do.  I enjoy planting and growing things.  I am constrained right now by space, but my balcony is covered in plants, flowers and herbs.  My cat is a big fan of the chives.  I love taking and looking at pictures...it is fun to document great memories.  One of my best friends is a photographer, I love her work!  I have been on a weight loss journey for a lot of my adult life.  I am not sure I like the term journey in this instance.  I have finally reached a point where I don't consider myself "on a diet"...don't get me wrong I am still actively losing weight and I have goals I would like to achieve in this area of my life, but I have reached a point where I don't see certain foods as forbidden.  Those types of rules set you up for failure.  I think it is human nature to want what you can't have.  I am conscious of what I put into my body and I work out.  My diet is life.

Here are some of those who make me who I am today: